House Democrats Issue Statement on Trump Iran Announcement
Washington, DC - On Tuesday, May 8, 2018, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, along with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Congressman David Price (D-NC), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), John Yarmuth (D-KY), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) released the following statement after President Trump announced that he would not waive, and would reimpose, Iranian sanctions lifted as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran Nuclear Deal:
“In refusing to waive sanctions that were lifted as part of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, President Trump has manufactured an international crisis that risks an armed conflict with a nuclear Iran.
“Since its inception, the JCPOA has implemented the most stringent verification and monitoring standards ever placed on a nation, successfully preventing Iran from developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“Despite frequent assurances of Iranian compliance from senior military and intelligence officials, independent inspectors, and our international partners, including Israeli security officials, President Trump consistently seeks to undermine the agreement and has yet to outline any plan to address his criticisms. With no strategy in Iran and no vision in the Middle East, President Trump’s reckless decision will increase tensions in hot spots around the world, push the United States closer to armed conflict with Iran, and severely diminish U.S. leadership and leverage. His actions serve only to isolate us from our allies, to encourage Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and to dissuade nations from negotiating agreements with the United States.
“President Trump has consistently demonstrated his ignorance of the complexity of the world’s challenges and today’s decision further highlights his inability to protect U.S. interests abroad.”
###