President Barack Obama decided this week against achieving a final agreement before the expiration of the July 10 deadline, which would have limited the period of Congressional consideration of the agreement. The motivation was the desire to neutralize criticism that he and Secretary of State John Kerry were too eager for an agreement.

Obama's decision marks a new low in his administration's willingness to stand up to the Israeli lobby-controlled Congressional opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. That doesn't mean that the chance for an agreement has necessarily been lost, but it will certainly make it more difficult.

More importantly, it poses a serious question about whether Iran hardliners in the Obama administration, led by National Security Adviser Susan Rice, have undermined Kerry's position in determining the pace and direction of US negotiating policy in the talks.