U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference at the Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama, Saturday, April 11, 2015. AP
PANAMA CITY, Panama – President Barack Obama pressed opponents Saturday of a deal on Iran’s contested nuclear program to be patient and not “screw up” the potential for a historic agreement.
In addition to staunch Republican opposition in the United States to an accord with the Islamic republic, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday that there were no guarantees of an agreement.
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“I don’t understand why it is that everybody’s working so hard to anticipate failure,” Obama told reporters in Panama City on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas.
“My simple point is: let’s wait and see what the deal is… And if, in fact, we’re not satisfied that it cuts off the pathways for Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, then we won’t sign it.”
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On April 2, after months of grueling negotiations, Tehran and six world powers agreed on the broad outline of a deal to impose tighter controls on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.
“What I’m concerned about is making sure we don’t prejudge it or those who are opposed to any deal whatsoever try to use a procedural argument essentially to screw up the possibility of a deal,” Obama said.
The P5+1 powers and Tehran have given themselves until June to finalize a detailed accord, but Washington has released fact sheets outlining steps it says Tehran has already agreed to take.
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