US President Barack Obama once again defended a prospective nuclear deal with Iran as he tied his legacy to the pact which aims to resolve the long-running dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.
In an interview with the Atlantic published on Thursday, Obama said, “Look, 20 years from now, I’m still going to be around, God willing. If Iran has a nuclear weapon, it’s my name on this.” He also said, “I think it’s fair to say that in addition to our profound national-security interests, I have a personal interest in locking this down.” Iran denies the allegation that it may be seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability under the guise of a civilian nuclear program, saying the work is solely for peaceful purposes such as generating electricity.
Asked about the possibility that other regional countries may decide to build nuclear infrastructures if Iran reaches a nuclear agreement with the major powers, Obama played down the concerns saying, “There has been no indication from the Saudis or any other (Persian Gulf Arab) countries that they have an intention to pursue their own nuclear program. Part of the reason why they would not pursue their own nuclear program… is that the protection that we provide as their partner is a far greater deterrent than they could ever hope to achieve by developing their own nuclear stockpile.”
He added that at his recent meeting with top-level Persian Gulf Arab officials in Washington, “they were satisfied that if in fact the agreement meant the benchmarks that we’ve set forth, that it would prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and given that, they understand that ultimately their own security and defense is much better served by working with us. Their covert—presumably—pursuit of a nuclear program would greatly strain the relationship they’ve got with the United States.”
