White House: negotiators should return if Iran not engaged

If it succeeds, this deal would dramatically decrease the probability of another costly war in the Middle East and could usher in an historic rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran after 34 years of hostilities. But we also might not.

Ex- Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Friday repurposed the controversial “Daisy” ad from 1964 that ominously raised the specter of a nuclear bomb explosion to warn about the dangers of the negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

But there’s a method to the messaging madness as the Obama administration is looking to reassure key constituencies in the US while holding together an increasingly fractious coalition of countries joining them in the negotiations and also ratcheting up pressure on Iran.

“That’s a bad deal for us: permanent concessions in exchange for temporary benefits, and that’s only if Iran doesn’t cheat, like North Korea did”, said Ed Royce (Republican-California), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. And Iran needs to know the USA won’t concede certain points but is truly willing to walk away.

Western countries suspect Iran of seeking the capability to make nuclear weapons.

“I believe we will in the near term either get this deal or find out we can’t”, the USA official said.

Dunford said those assets, even if not used for nuclear purposes, could easily be directed towards causes harmful to the U.S.

The sides failed a deadline of July 10 to strike the deal and they have given their talks another extension. That’s twice as much time for vocal opponents to tear the details of the deal apart and rally votes against the measure.

Joseph, a former special envoy for nuclear nonproliferation and Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and worldwide Security, went on to accuse the Obama administration of excessive optimism regarding the prospects for moderation of a regionally successful Iranian regime.

As Democrats and Republicans threatened to create a veto-proof majority that could upend a nuclear deal, the White House reversed course, working with lawmakers to craft a bill more palatable to Obama. Why, then, will there be such a tough battle in Congress to approve a deal that the Obama administration has worked so hard to achieve and is supported by most Americans? Optimists say a deal could help reshape Middle East alliances at a time when Washington and Tehran face a common foe in the Sunni militant group Islamic State.

Obama reportedly asked his fellow Democrats in the Senate to disregard cynics. Dick Durbin said on Wednesday. “U.S. military presence gives credibility to the military options in the Middle East … and deters Iran from employing its large conventional army or ballistic missiles and from interdicting the Strait of Hormuz”.

Tehran has powerful support on this issue from Russian Federation, one of the six nations negotiating with Iran – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russian Federation and the United States.

Corker added: “They’re rushing so that [Congress] will only have 30 days to look at this, instead of 60 days, which in itself should send a signal to Americans”.