Rep. Mac Thornberry
Photo: Reuters
Top Republican lawmaker warns Trump against leaving Iran deal
Chairman of House Armed Services Committee Rep. Thornberry, who stringently opposed nuclear deal at its inception, says US withdrawal will mean inspectors' departure while Europe will not renew sanctions, eroding Washington's leverage against Tehran.
The Republican leader of the US House Armed Services Committee said President Trump should not walk away from the Iran nuclear deal.
President Donald Trump is facing a May 12 deadline on whether to re-impose sanctions against Iran. Texas Congressman Mac Thornberry said on Fox News Sunday it would be a mistake for Trump to scuttle the nuclear accord reached with Tehran. "I would counsel against it," he said.
Rep. Mac Thornberry said he would advise President Trump against pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal (Photo: Reuters)
As Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Thornberry is considered a key Republican voice on national security issues. Thornberry said that while he was opposed to the deal when it was signed by the Obama Administration in 2015, exiting the agreement now would erode Washington's leverage against Tehran.
"I thought it was a bad deal," he said. "But the key question is, okay, what happens next if the US pulls out? Does Iran kick out those inspectors so we lose the visibility we have?"
President Trump threatened to withdraw the US from the deal (Photo: AFP)
Trump has signaled he may tear up the 2015 deal and re-impose sanctions later this month. Trump Administration officials have said the nuclear accord fails to address Iran's ballistic missile program and will allow Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program after some of its provisions expire.
Thornberry said that Trump should work with European allies to address these shortcomings in the accord. But scuttling the deal, he said, would take pressure off Iran by dividing Washington from its allies.
"The Europeans are not going to re-impose sanctions so where does that leave us and Iran?" he wondered.
As part of the 2015 deal between Iran and the six powers—the US, Britain, Russia, France, Germany and China—Iran agreed to halt and reduce its nuclear program in return for removing most of the international sanctions levied on the Islamic republic.
Trump should work with European allies to address deal's shortcomings, Thornberry said (Photo: AFP)
Furthermore, Iran agreed to restrict its uranium enrichment for a decade and assented to a demand to dismantle thousands of centrifuges. It further agreed to export most of the uranium enriched to a high grade it had already produced.
The agreement set up a review mechanism carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as part of which inspectors will visit sites suspected to be related to the nuclear program, including military bases. Iran was permitted to continue operating a nuclear program, albeit strictly for civilian purposes.
