Obama’s remarks show Washington’s inablity to counter Iran

Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami said the recent comments by US President Barack Obama indicated that Washington is not able to confront Iran or prevent its progress and clout. “The US president’s remarks that ‘Iran cannot be stopped in its strategy’ show the enemy’s inability on one hand and the Islamic Republic’s power on the other hand,” Salami said in Tehran on Tuesday. He described the IRGC as one of the pivots of the Islamic Republic’s power, and said, “The IRGC has learned ways to confront the enemy in any situation and fought against it.” His remarks came after US President Barack Obama in early January defended his nuclear diplomacy with Iran before an audience of Israeli diplomats and senior members of the US Jewish community and officials. At a White House reception, Obama said that it was important for the United States to test Iran's intentions, and pledged to keep working for a comprehensive deal over its peaceful nuclear activities. Obama also vowed to keep striving for a final deal with Iran over the coming months. Obama made the comments to his high-ranking Israeli audience after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly criticized the interim nuclear deal reached by Iran and world powers in Geneva on November 24. Obama's critics on Capitol Hill have also questioned the president's tactics and are threatening to enact new sanctions against Iran, which the White House fears would scupper the talks. The interim nuclear deal has recognized Iran nuclear enrichment for peaceful purposes and freezes the enrichment level to 5 percent in return for easing of the illogic sanctions imposed by the US and its allies against Iran. “We cannot close the door on diplomacy, and we cannot rule out peaceful solutions to the world's problems," Obama said earlier, referred to the nuclear deal concluded over Iran nuclear case. "We cannot commit ourselves to an endless cycle of conflict, and tough talk and bluster may be the easy thing to do politically, but it's not the right thing for our security," he added.