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Obama says he has "personal interest" in reaching Iran nuclear deal

Xinhua, May 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. President Barack Obama, in an interview published on Thursday, said he has a "personal interest" in making sure world powers and Iran could reach a deal that prevents Tehran from having a nuclear weapon.

"Look, 20 years from now, I'm still going to be around, God willing. If Iran has a nuclear weapon, it's my name on this," Obama told The Atlantic magazine.

"I think it's fair to say that in addition to our profound national security interests, I have a personal interest in locking this down," Obama added.

World powers and Iran reached a framework agreement on Tehran's nuclear programs last month and are in negotiations aimed at inking a comprehensive deal by the end of June.

In the interview, Obama also expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia, one of America's closest Arab allies, could build a nuclear infrastructure to match the infrastructure Iran will be allowed to keep in place as part of its agreement with the great powers, The Atlanta reported.

"Their covert - presumably - pursuit of a nuclear program would greatly strain the relationship they've got with the United States, " Obama said of the Saudis.

Obama met with leaders of Gulf nations at presidential retreat at Camp David last week, reassuring them of America's "iron-clad commitment" to the security of the Gulf nations.

The U.S. would consider using military force to defend the Gulf countries in the event of an external threat to their territorial integrity, Obama said. Endite