Obama: Netanyahu’s Speech ‘Nothing New’

Pete Souza / The White House(WASHINGTON) — President Obama thought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress Tuesday morning was “nothing new.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House, the president said Netanyahu offered no “viable alternatives” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“The alternative that the prime minister offers is ‘no deal,’ in which case Iran will immediately begin once again pursuing its nuclear program…without us having any insight into what they’re doing and without constraint,” Obama said.

In contrast, the president adamantly defended the U.S.-led nuclear negotiations.

“If we are successful in negotiating then, in fact, this will be the best deal possible to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Nothing else comes close. Sanctions won’t do it, even military action would not be as successful,” he said.

“That’s demonstrable and Prime Minister Netanyahu has not offered any kind of viable alternative that would achieve the same verifiable mechanism to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon,” he continued.

Obama noted that the case Netanyahu outlined on Tuesday was the same argument he made before the current interim deal and “even officials in his own government have had to acknowledge that Iran has in fact maintained their end of the bargain.”

Asked if the speech was appropriate, Obama said “what I’m focused on right now is solving this problem. I’m not focused on the politics of it and I’m not focused on the theater of it.”

The president spoke to reporters as he met with Defense Secretary Ash Carter in the Oval Office.

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