This is it: President Obama's moment to defend what may become the most lasting and consequential foreign policy decision of his tenure.
"Yesterday was a historic day," the president said during a lengthy press conference Wednesday, where he took many questions. "With this deal, we cut off every single one of Iran's pathways to a nuclear program, a nuclear-weapons program. And Iran's nuclear program will be under severe limits for many years. Without a deal, those pathways remain open. "
"That because this deal does not solve all those other problems [the U.S. has with Iran]—that that's an argument for rejecting this deal—it defies logic," Obama said. "It makes no sense."
Obama announced a day ago that Iran, the U.S. and other nations struck a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. While some have hailed it as an accomplishment of diplomacy, possibly thwarting a regional arms race and preventing a future U.S. military campaign against Iran, others—most vocally, Republicans and the Israeli government—have called the deal dangerous and say it emboldens a nation that's known to be a state sponsor of terror.
The president acknowledged these concerns, but said the deal serves its purpose. He hinted at lawmakers opposed to the accord, calling their view flawed.
"That because this deal does not solve all those other problems [the U.S. has with Iran]—that that's an argument for rejecting this deal—it defies logic," Obama said. "It makes no sense."