Obama on Iran Deal: ‘We’ve Seen Real Progress ... This Is a Success of Diplomacy’

Iran is making "real progress" dismantling its nuclear program thanks to the Iran deal John Kerry and other foreign ministers negotiated, President Obama said this morning.

"Already, Iran has dismantled two-thirds of its installed centrifuges," Obama said. "Iran has shipped 98 percent of its enriched uranium stockpile out of Iran. Iran has removed the Iraq reactor core and filled it with concrete. If Iran were to cheat, the breakout time to build a nuclear weapon has gone from two to three months to about a year." 

Iran is also already benefiting from this deal, Obama said. "Our nations have lifted nuclear related sanctions on Iran" and the country is re-integrating into the global economy.

"The road to this deal was not easy," he said. "This took commitment, diplomacy and hard work. It took leaders and countries gathered around this table, coming together, and working out our own differences in approach. Full and continued implementation is going to take the same kind of cooperation and consultation, but  I am extremely grateful to our partners in this effort even as we continue to face nuclear threats around the world which is the topic of this summit, this deal reminds us when the international community stands as one, we can advance our common security."