Senior Obama administration officials praised and celebrated one another, as well as the White House’s negotiating team in Vienna, following the announcement Tuesday morning of a final deal meant to curb Iran’s contested nuclear program.
"I couldn’t be more proud of the team, ... and I could not be more grateful to the courage the president of the United States has taken to give us a chance to do this deal," said one senior Obama administration official during a conference call with reporters following the announcement of the deal, which has already been criticized for failing to adequately rein in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
"This really extraordinary deal that has been struck" will help bring Iran into the global community of nations, the official added, stating that the deal "meets all of the president’s bottom lines."
President Obama, in a one-on-one call with Secretary of State John Kerry after the deal had been struck, praised the diplomat for his great negotiating skills, noted a second senior administration official present on the call.
Obama "told Secretary Kerry how proud he was of him," the official said.
Other top administration officials on the call praised Obama for closely following the negotiations as they reached their deadline and for offering advice to the U.S. team in Vienna.
One official praised "the depth of [Obama’s] knowledge and breadth of his knowledge" and went on to express that U.S. diplomats "are incredibly grateful for him" remaining in touch and up-to-date on the deal.
Obama told Kerry and the other U.S. officials in Vienna to ignore all deadlines in pursuit of a deal. Negotiators blew through at least four self-imposed deadlines during the several weeks they were in Vienna working toward a final deal.
The president’s "guidance throughout the last several weeks was to not worry about deadlines," explained one of the administration officials. "The president’s view was, ‘I don’t care about any particular deadline.’"
While the mood was mostly light on the conference call, a senior administration official familiar with how the talks have played out admitted that "negotiations with Iran are tough, very tough."
However, "through a very, very difficult process, we have come to know each other a little bit better," the official added.
While the deal "is not perfect for anyone," it "will be durable," the official added, warning that "there will be bumps along the way, there will be problems."
The deal already has been criticized for failing to address the core aspects of Iran’s nuclear program.
Under the agreement, Iran will be permitted to continue spinning centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium, the key component in a nuclear weapon. Western powers will also work with Iran to help it install and operate more advanced centrifuges, according to those apprised of the deal.
Economic sanctions also will be lifted on Iran, including those on the country’s banks and financial sectors, which have long supported Iran’s nuclear program as well as its sponsorship of international terrorist groups.
A United Nations embargo on arms also will be lifted within around five years as part of the deal. A similar embargo on the construction of ballistic missiles, which could carry a nuclear payload, also will expire in around eight years under the deal.