Former Obama official Jeremy Bash spoke on CNBC regarding the recent failed talks with Iran, and how Iran came out the winner with a deadline extension.
Bash served as Leon Panetta's chief of staff both when Panetta was Secretary of Defense and when he was Director of the CIA. He said Ayatollah Khamenei achieved various strategic goals with the extension, particularly the freedom to continue its development of nuclear weapons.
"He wanted to maintain the capability of having nuclear weapons," Bash said. "That's dangerous, because for the next seven months Iran here will be able to amass additional know-how and new technology while the community continues to negotiate with Iran."
Leaders on the Hill and at the Pentagon are now concerned that Iran will take advantage of the situation and benefit economically when large assets become unfrozen.
"So they're continuing to see the benefits of being in this negotiation," Bash said. "All the while, they are not making additional concessions."
