House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) joined a growing chorus of Republicans on Monday in condemning the historic deal to restrict Iran’s nuclear program.
In a televised statement, Boehner said that President Obama and the administration “abandoned” previously stated goals to keep sanctions in place until Iran “met concrete standards.” He said the current version of the deal fails to “stop Iran’s drive for a nuclear bomb” and is therefore “unacceptable.”
Obama addressed Republican concerns that oversight would not be strict enough in an early morning press conference at the White House. He said the deal cuts off all of Iran’s pathways to a bomb and allows the U.S. and other world powers unprecedented access to the country’s nuclear facilities.
“This deal is not built on trust,” Obama said. “It is built on verification.”