Iran deal ‘could end in genocide’
Republican US presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has likened the nuclear deal with Iran to the Holocaust, saying that it would ‘‘take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven’’.
The former governor of Arkansas suggested that the accord struck two weeks ago would not stop Tehran from developing atomic weapons, triggering another massacre of the Jews.
‘‘This president’s foreign policy is the most feckless in American history. It is so naive that he would trust the Iranians. By doing so, he will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.’’
His remarks sparked outrage in Washington and from Jewish groups. The National Jewish Democratic Council said: ‘‘To state that President Obama is leading Israelis ‘to the door of the oven’ is not only disgustingly offensive to the president and the White House, but shows utter, callous disregard for the millions of lives lost in the Shoah and to the pain still felt by their descendants today.’’
Undaunted, Huckabee underlined his remarks by posting an image on Twitter that appeared to incorporate them into his campaign literature. ‘‘This is the most idiotic thing, this Iran deal . . . We gave away the whole store. It’s got to be stopped.’’
He trails sixth in the race to secure the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential election, well behind Donald Trump, the property billionaire who is the frontrunner.
The controversy underscores the febrile mood in Washington as Obama struggles to convince sceptics that the deal struck in Vienna is strong enough to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons. Tehran accepted deep cuts to its nuclear programme and stringent UN inspections in exchange for an end to crippling sanctions.
Iran is anxious to avoid public dissent. Amid signs that the regime backs the deal, the country’s media have been issued with strict guidelines for reporting on the Vienna accord. A confidential letter issued by the culture ministry ordered news outlets ‘‘to safeguard the achievements of the talks’’ with praise for the deal and Iran’s negotiating team. Articles suggesting ‘‘a rift between high-ranking authorities in Iran’’ are banned, along with reports that might ‘‘polarise society’’.
In an effort to assuage regime hardliners who have deep misgivings about the deal, the Iranian press has been instructed to emphasise that hawks in the US and Israel are the main losers.
The ministry’s letter urges editors to emphasise comments about ‘‘the defeat of the Zionists’’.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, has yet to back the deal explicitly, having warned that the US could renege on its commitments. The cleric must balance opposition to the accord from hardliners against public enthusiasm and also the urgent need for Iran to escape the sanctions.
Congress has two months in which to review the Vienna accord before voting to accept or reject it.
Obama has warned that he will veto any move by Congress to reject the accord but such a move would strip the gloss from what he believes will prove to be his greatest diplomatic triumph.