Iran deal blocks 'every pathway' to development of nuclear weapon

President Barack Obama on Saturday again called the nuclear accord reached with Iran this week a “good deal”, as he continued to face fierce opposition on the issue from Republicans.

In what the president called a “historic understanding”, Iran agreed on Thursday to a framework deal that would dramatically constrain its nuclear program in return for the gradual lifting of economic sanctions.

“This framework is the result of tough, principled diplomacy,” Obama said in his weekly address to the nation. “It’s a good deal – a deal that meets our core objectives, including strict limitations on Iran’s program and cutting off every pathway that Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon.”

Under the broad deal, which was negotiated with other world powers, Iran is allowed to keep its nuclear facilities, which it insists are for peaceful uses and which will be subject to enhanced inspections. The deal is not yet final.

Opposition in Washington has been brewing since the start of the talks nearly 18 months ago. But with a final deal in sight, Republicans and some Democrats are demanding a say in the decision to relieve sanctions.

Obama has repeated that the deal will be called off if Iran balks at any stage, saying the deal is not based on “trust” but rather “unprecedented verification”.

On Saturday, former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, a possible presidential candidate in 2016, added his voice to Republican opposition to the deal saying he doubted anything from Iran was verifiable, and criticizing Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama administration over the way the negotiations played out.

“We’re expecting something good from bad people,” he said on CNN.

Huckabee, who has advocated for stronger sanctions against Iran, scoffed that there had been “more pressure” this week for sanctions against Indiana, which was recently forced to clarify a law that activists said allowed businesses to deny services to gay people.

Earlier this week, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who is seen by many to be the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, said: “Nothing in the deal described by the administration this afternoon would justify lifting US and international sanctions, which were the product of many years of bipartisan effort. I cannot stand behind such a flawed agreement.”

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/04/obama-iran-deal-nuclear-weapon