Top Republican says Obama guilty of trying to appease Iran with nuke policy

President Barack Obama is guilty of "appeasement" toward Iran, a top House Republican suggested Thursday evening.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.), the top GOP member of the House intelligence committee, accused the president of appeasing Iran by limiting this week the possibility of a nuclear strike against Iran in retaliation for any attack by that nation.

"It's a dangerous philosophy," Hoekstra said during an appearance on Fox News. "You know, he's saying one thing after another as to what we're going to do to stop proliferation in Iran. He's been coddling up to Iran. He's been moving away from the pro-democracy forces in Iran. Taking the nuclear option off the table is a terrible decision.

"Appeasement is the only way you can describe what he has done to Iran for the last 14 months," Hoekstra later added.

Obama has been pursuing sanctions against Iran for its nuclear energy development program, sanctions which have proven politically difficult internationally. Russia has said it would join the U.S. in pushing for sanctions, though China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council with more business invested in Iran, has been more reluctant to levy sanctions.

Republicans have condemned Obama's shift this week on the U.S. nuclear posture, in which he limited the circumstances under which the U.S. would respond to a serious biological or chemical attack with a nuclear weapon.

Obama has been in the Czech Republic the past two days, where he signed a treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to reduce nuclear stockpiles.