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(CNSNews.com) – President Obama argued at the weekend that it was unrealistic to envisage an agreement with Iran requiring a complete end to uranium enrichment. But Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu countered that turning up the pressure could deliver “a better deal,” describing the issue as “the paramount challenge of our generation.”Both leaders took part in the Brookings Institution’s annual Saban Forum – Obama on Saturday, Netanyahu by satellite link on Sunday – with Iran dominating both appearances.Technical experts from Iran, the U.S. and the other five powers involved in the negotiations are due to meet in Vienna from Monday to discuss implementation of the agreement reached on November 24 that offers Tehran limited sanctions relief in exchange for limited curbs on its nuclear program – including the actual start date for a six-month interim phase during which the parties will try to reach a comprehensive deal.The administration is urging Congress to hold off on fresh sanctions over that period to give the diplomatic effort the chance to succeed.Obama told the Saban Forum that, when faced with those who say Iran can’t be trusted and the administration was being naïve, “what I try to describe to them is not the choice between this deal and the ideal, but the choice between this deal and other alternatives.”“If I had an option, if we could create an option in which Iran eliminated every single nut and bolt of their nuclear program, and foreswore the possibility of ever having a nuclear program, and, for that matter, got rid of all its military capabilities, I would take it,” he said, then added, “But that particular option is not available.”Obama said he could envisage an end-state agreement that leaves Iran with a “modest” uranium-enrichment program, but involving such intrusive inspections that it would not give Iran nuclear weapons breakout capability.
What gets lost in the shuffle is that Iran sits on some of the largest natural gas reserves in the World. We're talking trillions of cubic feet of gas...enough to power their whole country for a century. They don't need nuclear power.
