Mitt Romney's foreign policy adviser Dan Senor on Monday said that the GOP nominee would be a more effective negotiator with Iran than President Obama.
“I think a lot of Americans would probably agree he’d be the better guy to be at the negotiating table on behalf of the United States than President Obama, given that we are four years closer today to Iran getting a nuclear weapon than we were when President Obama took over,” said Senor in an interview with NBC’s “Today.”
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New York Times reported on Saturday claimed the administration has agreed to a framework for resuming one-on-one negotiations with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, a story the administration quickly denied.
When asked if Romney would hold direct talks with Iran if elected, Senor said a President Romney would consider a range of options, including negotiations to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal.
“It’s going to be a comprehensive strategy and we should utilize a range of tools in our toolkit in achieving that diplomatic outcome and Gov. Romney’s not going to rule anything out. He’s been very clear about that for some time,” said Senor.
“His approach is we’ve got to reach a diplomatic solution — that is the key here to stop Iran from moving forward — and he will not rule out any of these tools that can get Iran to the table and get Iran to a peaceful resolution of this,” he added.
Senor said Obama had failed to halt Iran’s nuclear program and that “having someone new at the table, pursuing every kind of option that is available to us, including diplomacy,” was needed.
Iran has been a centerpiece of the Romney campaign’s criticisms of Obama’s foreign policy, with the GOP nominee claiming the president has been ineffective in stopping Iran’s nuclear program.
Tehran says the program is for peaceful energy purposes, but Western powers fear the country is developing nuclear weapons.
The administration has said it will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, and Obama has repeatedly said all options are on the table.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pressed the White House to clarify “red lines” they would not allow Iran to cross in its nuclear pursuit, but the administration has rebuffed those calls, leading to criticism from Republicans.
Senor on Monday said that he couldn’t envision a situation under a Romney administration where Israel would be forced to unilaterally stop Iran’s nuclear program with military force, claiming there would be no such “trigger-pulling moment.”
“Israel won’t be in that situation in a Romney administration,” he said, “because there wouldn’t be any daylight between the United States and Israel.”
Senor said under Romney, American allies including Israel wouldn’t be “wondering if America can be counted upon, whether an American president’s word can be counted upon.”
