President Obama responded Wednesday to critics of the White House’s attempts to broker a nuclear deal with Tehran, saying that Iran’s government’s professed hatred for the United States is not really what it sounds like.
Iran’s “death to America” crowd, which includes “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, does not speak for the whole of the country, Obama said, adding that this same crowd of “hardliners” actually shares a “common cause” with Republicans who oppose the proposed nuclear deal.
“I recognize the resorting to force may be tempting in the face of rhetoric and behavior that emanates from some parts of Iran. It is offensive,” he said during an address Wednesday afternoon at American University in Washington, D.C. “It is incendiary. We do take it seriously. But superpowers should not act impulsively in response to taunts. Or even provocations that can be addressed short of war.”
He added, “Just because Iranian hardliners chant ‘Death to America’ does not mean that’s what all Iranians believe.”
“In fact, it’s those hardliners who are most comfortable with the status quo. It’s those hardliners chanting ‘Death to America’ who have been most opposed to the deal. They are making a common cause with the Republican caucus.”
He accused Iranian “hardliners” and Republicans of trying to block the White House’s attempts to broker a nuclear pact with Tehran, claiming that both groups are only interested in maintaining the status quo.
However, Obama added, the Iranian people are actually interested in moving in a more peaceful direction. The whole “death to America” thing is something of an anomaly.
“[The] majority of the Iranian people have powerful incentives to urge their government to move in a different, less provocative direction — incentives that are strengthened by this deal,” he said.
“We should offer them that chance,” he added. “We should give them the opportunity.”
Should the deal succeed, he said, “[it] that would be good for Iran and good for the United States. It would be good for a region that is known for too much conflict and would be good for the world.”
