{President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his nuclear diplomacy with Iran before an audience of Israeli diplomats and senior members of the US Jewish community and officials.}<\/p>\n
At a White House Hanukkah reception, Obama said that it was important for the United States to test Iran’s intentions, and pledged to keep working for a comprehensive deal to deprive Tehran of a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n
“For the first time in a decade we have halted progress of Iran’s nuclear program,” Obama said.<\/p>\n
“Key parts of the program will be rolled back even though the toughest of our sanctions remain in place. <\/p>\n
“That is good for the world, that is good for Israel,” Obama said, vowing to keep striving for a final deal with Iran over the coming months that takes care of the “threat of Iran’s nuclear weapons once and for all.”<\/p>\n
Obama also said however that Washington must remain vigilant and that its commitment to Israeli security would remain “iron clad” and “unshakeable.”<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly criticized an interim nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers in Geneva last month.<\/p>\n
Obama’s critics on Capitol Hill have also questioned the president’s tactics and are threatening to enact new sanctions against Iran, which the White House fears would scupper the talks.<\/p>\n
The interim nuclear deal freezes aspects of Iran’s nuclear program, in return for a modest easing of the sanctions regime that has crippled the Iranian economy.<\/p>\n
AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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