Washington, November 1 (RHC)-- A high-ranking White House official has revealed that a lasting nuclear agreement with Iran is a top priority for the Barack Obama administration. White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes made the remarks in a talk to progressive activists, the Washington Free Beacon reported on Friday.

“Bottom line is, this is the best opportunity we’ve had to resolve the Iranian issue diplomatically, certainly since President Obama came to office, and probably since the beginning of the Iraq war,” Rhodes said in audio obtained by the American news website. “So no small opportunity, it’s a big deal. This is probably the biggest thing President Obama will do in his second term on foreign policy.

The remarks show the importance of a rapprochement between the United States and Iran to Obama, who, however, has publically stated that the likelihood of a nuclear deal between six world powers and Iran is no greater than 50-50.