Obama’s deal with Iran could hinder his successors, particularly Republicans

WASHINGTON: The historic agreement on Iran’s nuclear program announced Tuesday virtually guarantees that the 2016 election will be fought over conflicting views of the outgoing president’s record, since the pact’s endurance depends on the willingness of future US presidents to see it through.

Like the environment, immigration and Cuba policy before it, the deal is another major endeavor in which President Barack Obama used his executive-branch authority to act unilaterally — meaning the change he put in place could be rolled back by any future president.