Instead, the resulting agreement is precisely in accordance with U.S. intentions: no relief will be granted to Iran until after it has undertaken – and the worldwide Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified – its various nuclear commitments that will, in aggregate, create the breakout timeline and verification requirements to detect cheating. “We want a deal“, the ambassador said. OPEC-member Iran has the world’s largest gas reserves and is fourth on the global list of top oil reserves holders.
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Both Obama and his Iranian counterpart, President Hassan Rouhani, know such an agreement is the opening that could lead to solutions to stabilize the Middle East. Others may note that, since suspension of uranium enrichment and other activities was not part of the deal, we no longer need to adhere to a literal reading of the original text.
As such, by implementing this agreement the United States will permit the financing of global terrorism – not only against Americans, but also our closest allies, including Israel. Many key penalties on the Iranian economy, such as those related to the energy and financial sectors, could be lifted by the end of the year.
Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute points out what happened when the European Union previously opened trade with Iran as an incentive for Tehran to moderate its behavior. That didn’t work with North Korea, and it won’t work with Iran.
Of the many myths constructed in the waning days of the negotiations on the Iran nuclear agreement, one of the most beguiling was the notion that the United States was granting last minute concessions to secure a deal.
In Europe, it seems, there is no debate to be had over the Iran deal; rather, it is a fait accompli. Iran’s revenues from the field are frozen in an account in London under the sanctions regime.
Iran will have the cash to pay for them.
“If Iran declares a nuclear weapon, we can’t afford to wait 30 years more for our own”, a retired Saudi colonel told the Wall Street Journal.
Foremost, opponents of the Iran deal are not universally suggesting the Iran deal be killed outright or immediately resort to “war”. That means 10 years from now, Iran’s “breakout time” will be nearly zero.
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That will show Iran’s leaders that the only path to a bright future for their citizens is to first give up their nuclear ambitions and then allow the world every opportunity to verify it. As a number of critics have pointed out, the Iran deal may be unconstitutional, violate global law and feature commitments that President Obama could not otherwise lawfully make. Obama can veto the bill if the deal is rejected, which in turn can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in Congress.
