Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after President Trump announced his plans to decertify the Iran nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and his Administration’s new proposed strategy for Iran:
“Two years ago, I announced my support for the Iran nuclear deal because it was the best option we had to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Since then, the U.S. government and international monitors have verified that Iran is complying with the deal on multiple occasions. The President has not reported any evidence of Iran materially breaking the deal to Congress – a requirement under the law.
“President Trump’s actions today will stifle our efforts in countering Iran. He has undermined our national security and our global leadership. It is telling that Trump’s decision goes against the views his own Secretary of Defense publicly shared with Congress just a week ago.
“It took years of work with our allies in Europe, as well as China and Russia, to develop sanctions strong enough to bring Iran to the table. It took a few more years of painstaking diplomacy to develop the agreement. That type of coalition cannot be recreated overnight. The best way to keep Nevadans and our country safe is to stay in the deal and work with an international coalition to keep Iran in check.
“The Iran deal has weaknesses that we must continue to think creatively about addressing, but the best starting point for that work is within the deal. We must continue to use every tool at the United States’ disposal to oppose Iran.”
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