President Barack Obama Applauds Iran Nuclear Deal as 'Smart' Diplomacy
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President Barack Obama tried to reassure Americans that recent breakthroughs in the United States' relationship with Iran. He called it "smart" diplomacy in statement Sunday from the White house.
"This is a good day," Obama said. "When Americans are freed and returned to their families, that's something we can all celebrate."
The president's remarks come after a weekend of high-stakes diplomacy, where five Americans were released from an Iranian prision and international sanctions were lifted from Iran as part of a nuclear deal.
President Obama on the Iranian hostages. Click play to watch.
Many U.S. leaders are wary of the deal that would allow Iran to immediately recoup close to $100 billion in assets frozen overseas.
"Iran is likely to use this cash infusion—more than $100 billion in total—to finance terrorists. This comes just weeks after Tehran's most recent illegal ballistic missile test, and just days after the IRGC detained ten American sailors", said House Speaker Paul Ryan.
"A bipartisan majority in the House voted to reject this deal in the first place, and we will continue to do everything possible to prevent a nuclear Iran," he added.
Obama tried to assure those against the deal that the U.S. would still watch Iran closely.
"We will continue to enforce these sanctions vigorously," Obama said. "We are going to remain vigilant about it."
The Obama adminstration announced new penalties on 11 individuals and entities involved in Tehran's ballistic missles program.
The White House issued a statement on its foreign policy webpage that because of the Iran deal, it would take Iran 12 months or more to gather enough fissile material to build a weapon. The statement went on to explain that "with the unprecedented monitoring and access this deal puts in place, if Iran tries, we will know and sanctions will snap back into place."
Obama credits the new approach as having helped to free the detained Americans. Under the prisoner swap, the U.S. dropped charges against seven Iranians citizens accused or convicted of violating U.S. sanctions.
Obama says the released Iranians weren't charged with terrorism and that this is a "one-time gesture" to Iran.
President Obama speaks about granting clemency to the seven Iranian citizens. Click play to watch.
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