Washington, Paris and Cairo, AP/Asharq Al-Awsat
16 July 2015
Saudi Arabia says welcomes deal if successful in deterring Tehran’s nuclear ambitions
President Barack Obama launched an aggressive and detailed defense of a landmark Iranian nuclear accord, rejecting the idea that it leaves Tehran on the brink of a bomb and arguing the only alternative to the diplomatic deal is war.
The president vigorously challenged his critics during a lengthy White House news conference on Wednesday, a day after Iran, the US and five other world powers finalized a historic, years-long agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Opposition to the deal has been fierce, both in Washington and Israel. The Gulf states have also expressed concerns.
In Congress, resistance comes not only from Republicans, but also Obama’s own Democratic Party. Vice President Joe Biden spent the morning on Capitol Hill meeting privately with House Democrats, and planned to return Thursday to make a similar pitch to Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday, Maryam Rajavi, head of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition of Iranian opposition groups, expressed misgivings regarding the deal.
She said Tehran could still seek to bypass inspectors in order to obtain a nuclear weapon by secretive means. However, she also stressed concessions made during the negotiations had weakened the “religious fascist” Tehran regime, which she believed could also help increase opposition toward the regime domestically.
“Even though the deal won’t close the door on the mullahs’ secret maneuvering in the hope of obtaining a nuclear weapon, it does however give a chance for mobilizing dissent inside Iran itself,” she said.