McConnell: Any Iran deal must recognize Israel's defense needs

by Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies

U.S. President Barack Obama on Iran nuclear talks: We're going to find out over the next three or four weeks whether we can actually get a deal done • Obama reiterates: No deal is better than a bad deal.

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell | Photo credit: AP

"Senate Republicans remain intent to ensure that any comprehensive agreement concerning the Iranian nuclear program both protects the national security of the United States and recognizes Israel's own defense needs as a security partner of our country," Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell told Israel Hayom on Wednesday. After the Republicans won control of the Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, McConnell will likely become the new Senate majority leader.

In a press at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama talked about the ongoing nuclear negotiations between world powers and Iran, ahead of the Nov. 24 deadline for a final agreement.

"Whether we can actually get a deal done, we're going to have to find out over the next three to four weeks," Obama said. 

"Because of the unprecedented sanctions that we put in place that really did have a crippling effect on Iran's economy, they've come to the table and they've negotiated seriously around providing assurances that they're not developing a nuclear weapon for the first time," Obama said. "And they have abided by the interim rules. We have been able to freeze their program, in some cases reduce the stockpile of nuclear material that they already had in hand. And the discussions, the negotiations have been constructive.

"We have presented to them a framework that would allow them to meet their peaceful energy needs. And if, in fact, what their leadership says, that they don't want to develop a nuclear a weapon -- if that is, in fact, true, then they've got an avenue here to provide that assurance to the world community, and in a progressive, step-by-step, verifiable way, allow them to get out from under sanctions so that they can reenter as full-fledged members of the international community.

"But they have their own politics, and there's a long tradition of mistrust between the two countries. And there's a sizeable portion of the political elite that cut its teeth on anti-Americanism and still finds it convenient to blame America for every ill that there is. And whether they can manage to say yes to what clearly would be better for Iran, better for the region, and better for the world, is an open question. We'll find out over the next several weeks."

When asked whether he has the power to unilaterally relax sanctions on Iran without approval from Congress, Obama said, "There are a series of different sanctions. There are multilateral sanctions; there are U.N. sanctions; there are sanctions that have been imposed by us, this administration, unilaterally. And I think it's different for each of those areas.

"But I don't want to put the cart before the horse. What I want to do is see if we, in fact, have a deal. If we do have a deal that I have confidence will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and that we can convince the world and the public will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, then it will be time to engage in Congress. And I think that we'll be able to make a strong argument to Congress that this is the best way for us to avoid a nuclear Iran; that it will be more effective than any other alternatives we might take, including military action.

"But that requires it being a good deal. And I've said consistently that I'd rather have no deal than a bad deal -- because what we don't want to do is lift sanctions and provide Iran legitimacy but not have the verifiable mechanisms to make sure that they don't break out and produce a nuclear weapon."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that reaching a deal with Iran would get more difficult if negotiations drag beyond the Nov. 24 deadline.

Kerry, speaking ahead of his planned weekend talks with Iran's foreign minister, said the United States and its allies were not -- for now -- weighing an extension of the negotiations.

"I think it gets more complicated if you can't" meet the deadline, Kerry said, adding "it's not impossible."

"We have no intention at this point of talking about an extension, and we're not contemplating an extension," Kerry said.

Speaking in Paris after meeting earlier with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Kerry placed the burden to complete a deal on Iran.

"They have a right to a peaceful program but not a track to a bomb," Kerry said. "We believe it is pretty easy to prove to the world that a plan is peaceful."

Fabius called it "very important" for the U.S. and France to keep a united front as the negotiations enter the final stretch.

Kerry predicted the change in Senate control would not affect the Iran nuclear talks.

"What is complicated is managing internal expectations in other places," he said. He was not more specific, but appeared to refer to U.S. allies such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, which remain extremely wary of any deal with Iran.

Kerry is due to meet in Muscat, Oman on November 9 with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Catherine Ashton, who recently completed her term as the EU's foreign policy chief.

Those high-level talks are due to be followed on November 11 by technical negotiations between Iran and the six outside powers: China, Russia, the United States, France, Britain and Germany.

Kerry said he could foresee an extension of the talks "if we were inches away" from an agreement, with only details to be filled.

But if there are "big issues hanging out there," he said, "No, I don't."

Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=21245

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