President Barack Obama on Monday lauded the “clear-eyed and principled” diplomatic talks that led to this weekend’s nuclear deal with Iran, saying that the United States “cannot close the door on diplomacy.”
“Tough talk and bluster may be the easy thing to do politically, but it’s not the right thing for our security,” Obama said during remarks in San Francisco.
The deal would reduce some trade sanctions and give Iran increased access to overseas assets in return for Iran allowing regular inspections of nuclear facilities and stopping certain actions that lead towards nuclear weapons development.
Critics of the deal say that the interim agreement doesn’t go far enough because it fails to explicitly forbid Iran from enriching uranium. But Obama said the deal could help dismantle the history of “mistrust” between Iran and the west.
Quoting former President John F. Kennedy, Obama said he believes the United States should never “fear to negotiate."
"If Iran seizes this opportunity and chooses to join the global community, then we can begin to chip away at the mistrust that’s existed for many many years between our two nations,” he said.
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