Peters Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal

WASHINGTON, DC - Below is a statement from U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on President Trump’s announcement that the United States will exit the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA):

“Three years ago, the Senate voted on whether or not to reject the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the Iran nuclear deal. At the time, I stated my reservations with the deal as it was negotiated, but felt that accepting the agreement was our only viable path forward to increase our national security, maintain international opposition to a nuclear-armed Iran, and increase regional stability. My biggest reason for supporting the deal was that it constrained Iran’s nuclear program in the short-term, and my biggest reservation was – and continues to be – the question of how we will limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions when certain provisions in the deal expire.

“The JCPOA is not perfect, and I would support an effort by the United States to work with the P5+1 to make changes to the deal that would address its limitations, including the failure to address Iran’s long-term nuclear ambitions, its ballistic missile testing and support for terrorism in the region. However, today’s decision by the Administration appears to neither address the weaknesses of the deal nor protect the successes. 

“We had an opportunity to make the Iran deal stronger and to make the United States and our allies safer. Today, it appears the Administration, through lack of proper preparation and planning, has failed to capitalize on that opportunity. 

“Iran is an oppressive authoritarian regime that cannot be trusted, and a nuclear-armed Iran is an unacceptable security threat to America and our allies and an existential threat to State of Israel. We need a plan to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. It is now incumbent on this Administration to put forth a realistic plan to curtail the Iranian nuclear threat without the JCPOA in place.”