Obama pushes back on critics of Iran deal

Obama pushes back on critics of Iran deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to his critics, President Barack Obama forcefully defended the weekend nuclear agreement with Iran, declaring that the United States “cannot close the door on diplomacy.” The president’s remarks came as criticism of the deal to temporarily freeze pieces of Iran’s nuclear program mounted from Capitol Hill and some allies abroad, most notably Israel. Obama acknowledged that tough obstacles remain before the diplomacy with Iran can be deemed a success, but he insisted the potential rewards are too great to not test Tehran’s willingness to strike a longer-term deal with the U.S. and other world powers.