"if Iran’s program was indeed halted due to international pressure and scrutiny"
it would have been a homerun if he'd stated the obvious, that the "international pressure" on Iran came in the form of American soldiers invading the country next door. It would have been a strong statement of vindication for the policy and it would have drawn some attention, which a home run should do.
Exactly right, there was no "international pressure" in 2003 but there was crap in the pants in Libya and Iran because of 135,000 grunts and marines in their neighborhood. An honorbale mention to the Navy and Air Force.:-}