Obama says Iran presented with nuclear deal "framework"

Republican senator seeks legislation requiring up-or-down vote on nuclear agreement.

By MICHAEL WILNER
Natanz Facility in Iran (photo credit: screenshot)
Natanz Facility in Iran
(photo credit: screenshot)
WASHINGTON – The P5+1 powers “presented a framework” to Iran that would allow it to “reenter the international community,” US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday.
The global powers – the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – “have presented to them a framework that would allow them to meet their peaceful energy needs,” Obama said in a press conference at the White House.
“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,” he said.
“There haven’t been a lot of cracks in our lines,” Obama said referring to international partners engaging Iran in the talks, pointing to Russia in particular as playing a cooperative role.
Obama said he prefers a deal to alternatives, “including military action,” but that “no deal is better than a bad deal.”
Also on Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) vowed to present legislation requiring any Iran nuclear deal to pass through Congress in an up or down vote.
Republicans swept into power in the Senate on Tuesday, thus making possible a vote on a prospective bill from Graham, as outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) will no longer be able to stop measures from being voted on.