President Trump said Friday he’s decertifying the Iranian nuclear deal forged under the Obama administration, but stopped short of ending the international agreement, instead giving Congress 60 days to take a tougher approach toward Tehran’s lawless behavior. In an address from the White House, the president also said he’s directing the Treasury Department to sanction Iran’s…
Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY17/Rockland-Westchester), Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump announced his intention not to certify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal with Iran:
“While there has been much debate over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it must now be rigorously enforced. In the absence of credible information from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the intelligence community indicating Iran’s failure to uphold the agreement, I disagree with President Trump’s decertification of Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA.
“Let me be clear – Iran engages in behavior that is deeply destabilizing to the region. The Administration should adopt an aggressive, comprehensive strategy focused on vigorous enforcement of the deal and steps to combat Iran’s activities beyond the scope of the JCPOA, such as its ballistic missile program and conventional-arms transfers. It is paramount that we ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon while working to rein in its dangerous non-nuclear activities.
“We must continue to stand with our allies and partners in the international community. Abruptly leaving the JCPOA risks our country’s credibility and could isolate us at a time when we need international partnerships more than ever to combat Iran’s destructive actions as well as increasing incitement from North Korea. I agree with Defense Secretary Mattis that staying in the deal is vital to U.S. national security, and we must maintain the JCPOA as long as the IAEA and U.S. military and defense leaders verify Iran’s compliance.”
American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO David Harris issued the following statement following President Donald J. Trump’s remarks:
President Donald J. Trump spoke about Iran today in a much-anticipated speech. The core of the message was that he would decertify Iran with respect to the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA), given Iran’s egregious behavior in many spheres.
Clearly, his message was a disappointment both to those who hoped he would continue to certify and to those, on the other end of the spectrum, who wanted him to tear up a deal he himself had referred to as so poorly negotiated in the first place.
What happens next remains to be seen. Attention will be focused laser-like on the congressional response, as well as the reaction of the other P5+1 nations – China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
For AJC, the heart of the matter is addressing key issues that have long troubled us because they were not adequately covered, if at all, by the original agreement, and that led in the first place to our decision to oppose it in 2015, specifically: (a) Iran’s ballistic missile development, which continues aggressively and menacingly; (b) the sunset clause in the JCPOA, which means a pathway to the nuclear bomb no later than 2030, if not sooner; and (c) the weaknesses in the inspection regime because Iranian military sites are totally off-limits.
In addition, it is abundantly clear, or at least should be, that those supporters of the JCPOA who argued that the agreement would moderate Iranian behavior were flat wrong in their prediction. To the contrary, Iran has only become still more emboldened in its destabilizing activities in the region – from Syria to Iraq, from Lebanon to Yemen, from Bahrain to Gaza. Nor has its abysmal human rights record in any way abated.
At this point in time, whatever earlier views were, it is absolutely essential that the Administration, Congress, and our key allies in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia work as collaboratively as possible on the Iran threat. This is not, nor must it be allowed to become, about partisanship, legacy, or, as the Germans say, schadenfreude.
Rather, it is about grappling with one of the most complex and high-stakes issues in the world today, and seeking to ensure that Iran does not flaunt the spirit of the JCPOA, clandestinely work around it, drive a wedge among allies, or, exploiting the flaws in the original deal, simply follow the long-term glide path to nuclear status that it was essentially given in 2015.
AIPAC Statement on the President’s Iran Address:
President Trump delivered an important speech today recognizing the dangerous threat the Iranian regime continues to pose. He outlined a robust strategy to confront both Iran’s regional aggression and the flaws in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). AIPAC urges the administration and Congress to move ahead on a comprehensive, bipartisan strategy to achieve these important objectives.
In his speech, the president gave special attention to the dangers posed by the Iranian regime, both globally and in the region. As he indicated, a primary instrument for carrying out the regime’s will is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). We welcome the announcement of new sanctions on the IRGC.
The president made clear his view of the deficiencies in the JCPOA, but he also indicated that the United States is not withdrawing from the accord at this time. Instead, he called upon Congress and our allies to work together to address the deal’s problematic sunset clauses, the lack of sufficient inspections, and the danger posed by Iran’s ballistic missile program.
This is an important moment for Iran policy. AIPAC urges the administration and Congress to forge a comprehensive, bipartisan strategy to counter Iranian aggression and ensure Iran will never achieve a nuclear weapons capability.
Congresswoman Susan Davis released the following statement on President Trump’s announcement that he would not certify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“The United States has always been a leader in reducing nuclear proliferation across the globe, until now. President Trump’s failure has just cracked the door open to Iran having nuclear weapons capabilities. It is clear President Trump doesn’t want to lead on this issue so it is up to Congress to uphold this agreement and work to ensure Iran never gets its hands on nuclear weapons.”