US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that diplomacy was the best option to deal with Iran's contested nuclear program, two days after the conclusion of a framework agreement with Tehran. Iran and six world powers determined the outlines of a landmark agreement which would curb Iran's nuclear program and potentially lift economic sanctions. As Obama gears up to sell US skeptics on the deal, he said he is convinced talks are the best way forward. Scroll down for video . US President Barack Obama says diplomacy is the best way to deal with Iran . U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and staff watch a tablet in Lausanne as U.S. President Barack Obama makes a state address on the status of the Iran nuclear program . 'As President and Commander in Chief, I firmly believe that the diplomatic option - a comprehensive, long-term deal like this - is by far the best option,' Obama said in his weekly address. Explaining that he expects a 'robust debate' on the deal in the United States, Obama said he will keep Congress apprised of the "substance of the deal." Many of Obama's Republican opponents in Congress have been skeptical of a deal with Iran and suggested the US may be giving too much away in its negotiations. Echoing comments he made hours after the announcement of the agreement, Obama highlighted the rigorous inspections to which Tehran will be subject. 'If Iran cheats, the world will know it. If we see something suspicious, we will inspect it,' he said. 'So this deal is not based on trust, it’s based on unprecedented verification.' According to outline text agreed to between Tehran and the P5+1 group -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia plus Germany -- Iran must significantly reduce its number of centrifuges in exchange for a suspension of sanctions. The outline was a major breakthrough in a 12-year international crisis over Iran's nuclear program, but the final deal has yet to be reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday this new agreement would 'threaten the very survival of the state of Israel' Iran's arch-foe Israel, widely assumed to have nuclear weapons of its own, reacted strongly against the deal, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying if the text becomes finalized it would threaten the survival of the state of Israel. ‘This deal would legitimize Iran’s nuclear program, bolster Iran’s economy and increase Iran’s aggression and terror throughout the Middle East and beyond,’ the prime minister said. ‘It would increase the risks of nuclear proliferation in the region and the risks of a horrific war.’ Other critics including Saudi Arabia and Republicans in the US say the deal leaves scope for Iran to cheat. Barack Obama, however, has hailed the agreement struck after tortuous negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a ‘historic understanding’. There are still many details to be thrashed out before the deal is due to be signed on June 30, including the pace at which sanctions will be lifted and what happens if Iran is found to have breached the terms.
US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that diplomacy was the best option to deal with Iran's contested nuclear program .
This just two days after a framework was agreed upon which would curb Iran's nuclear program and potentially lift economic sanctions .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday this new agreement would 'threaten the very survival of the state of Israel'
Many Americans, especially Republicans, also believe this has now paved the way for Iran to develop an atomic bomb .