The Iran Nuclear Deal, a 2015 international accord between the UN, China, France, England, Russia, and the United States regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, may finally be unraveling thanks to President Donald Trump.
Since it’s been a few years, let’s take a quick refresher course first. Under the Obama-era agreement, Iran agreed to dispose of its cache of medium-enriched uranium, dispose of all but 2% of its cache of low-enriched uranium, and reduce its collection of gas centrifuges by two thirds over a period of 13 years.
The spirit of the agreement was one where international powers recognized that while Iran had an interest in developing nuclear weapons, it did not seem fair to make it impossible for them to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes. But Iran is also a known state sponsor of terrorist groups, and has made existential threats against Israel and the U.S.
However, then-President Obama and his supporters didn’t seem to be too bothered by that last detail.
In 2016, former presidential candidate Howard Dean told Breitbart that he does not consider Iran to be an Islamic state, and had this to say about the Iran Deal
“I don’t think it was a good deal. I think we gave away much more than we needed to,” Dean said. “The Iranians are the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the world. They are making life difficult for many of our allies. I think the deal had its pluses and minuses, and we won’t know, for a few years, whether the deal makes sense or not. I think [Obama’s] reputation will hinge on what happens with the Iran Deal.”
According to Dean, Iran is not an Islamic state, but they were taken over by “thugs and madmen.”
Donald Trump made it clear months ago that he would not permit Iran to continue to serve international terrorism as a place of refuge and a source of support. He, quite pointedly, charges leaders in Saudi Arabia to cease aiding terrorist groups based in Iran and to join the United States and its allies in resisting the rising influence of terrorist groups like ISIS.
The president released the following statement announcing his refusal to re-certify the deal;
“Based on the factual record I have put forward, I am announcing today that we cannot and will not make this certification. We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror, and the very real threat of Iran’s nuclear breakthrough. That is why I am directing my administration to work closely with Congress and our allies to address the deal’s many serious flaws so the regime can never threaten the world with nuclear weapons.”
Judging from this statement, it would seem that President Trump would sign the agreement if it were amended to have fewer ‘flaws.’ At present, we know that the deal allows Iran to keep enough of its nuclear material and nuclear research equipment to continue to develop nuclear power.
The question is, whether or not there is a meaningful barrier between the ability to develop nuclear power and the ability to develop nuclear weapons? President Trump does not seem to think so. Certainly, in the debates leading up to the Iran Deal, the question was not whether they should have a certain amount of nuclear material- but whether they should have any at all.
President Trump has taken us back to that slipping point where President Obama failed to stop a state that has openly hostile intentions toward Israel and western nations from obtaining nuclear material. Because of Obama, the centrist position of today has become tolerance for a rogue state having access to weapons of mass destruction.
Trump has shown his willingness to offend the status quo in order to produce a more peaceful outcome. His stance on North Korea has a similar ring to it. That is another case where an openly hostile nation which has not been dealt with properly may need to be defeated in armed conflict before the problem is finally resolved.
The Iran Deal, as it is currently written, does not go far enough to limit that country’s nuclear capabilities. Iran is the region’s most outstanding terrorist sponsor. The regime’s leaders have gone on record numerous times saying “death to Israel,” and “death to America.” The Iran Deal delivered $1.7 billion to Iran for reasons that were never announced by the Obama administration and were never made clear. Furthermore, is well known that the money was laundered in Russia and delivered to Iran in unmarked planes under cover of darkness.
While it’s clear Trump hasn’t killed the deal entirely, he’s definitely sent the message that what currently stands is unacceptable.
~ Liberty Planet
