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With Thursday’s surprise tentative agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Obama appears to be on track to build a diplomatic legacy to match pledges made during his two presidential campaigns, according to the Huffington Post.

If it comes to fruition, the hard-fought Iranian deal falls in line with major agreements reached with two other longtime U.S. adversaries: China and Cuba, notes the news site.

From the Huffington Post:

It may be hard to remember today, but Barack Obama became president, more or less, thanks to his foreign policy. His early opposition to the war in Iraq gave him the wedge he needed to differentiate himself from the far-and-away frontrunner, Hillary Clinton. During the campaign, he used Iran to further drive home the contrast. In a debate in July 2007, Obama said he’d meet with then-Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “without precondition.” It was an extension of Obama’s diplomacy-first foreign policy, and he came under withering attack not just from the GOP, but also from Clinton…

Obama stood by his controversial position and as president, embarked on high-stakes negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, resulting in Thursday’s improbable agreement to reduce, control and monitor Iran’s nuclear program. Coming on the heels of major deals with two other longtime U.S. adversaries, China and Cuba, Obama is steadily building a diplomatic legacy to match his campaign rhetoric.

While the deal remains unfinished and unsigned, the president said when finalized, it will make the world a safer place.

From The New York Times:

Mr. Obama cited the same John F. Kennedy quote he referenced earlier in the week when visiting a new institute dedicated to the former president’s brother, Senator Edward M. Kennedy: “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” The sense of celebration was captured by aides standing nearby in the Colonnade who exchanged fist bumps at the end of the president’s remarks…But Mr. Obama will have a hard time convincing a skeptical Congress, where Republicans and many Democrats are deeply concerned that he has grown so desperate to reach a deal that he is trading away American and Israeli security. As he tries to reach finality with Iran, he will have to fend off legislative efforts, joined even by some of his friends, to force a tougher posture.

What do you think, is the president’s tentative deal with Iran trading away American security? Sound off in the comments…

SOURCE: NYT, Huffington Post | VIDEO SOURCE: NDN

Will President Obama’s Deal With Iran Seal His Foreign Policy Legacy?  was originally published on newsone.com