Kaine on Trump move on Iran deal

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today following President Trump’s decision not to make the certification required under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act.

“President Trump is making a dangerous mistake.  Just last week, the President’s own military and national security advisors testified to Congress that sticking with the JCPOA is in U.S. national security interests.  This move puts America at risk by potentially freeing Iran to turn its back on commitments to the JCPOA and undercutting our ability to work with the international community to effectively counter Iran’s destabilizing behavior. This reckless decision damages the credibility of the United States, weakens our alliances, and could hamper our ability to counter the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.  Since President Trump refuses to be the adult in the room when it comes to foreign policy, the burden is now on Congress to protect an agreement that has made the world safer by preventing a nuclear Iran.”

Kaine has been a leading voice on Iran, including co-authoring the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.  He has consistently supported efforts to push back on Iran’s destabilizing behavior, including supporting the Countering U.S. Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017, which strengthened sanctions on Iran for its human rights abuses, ballistic missile testing, and support for terrorism, including Hezbollah, and voting in 2016 to extend the Iran Sanctions Act.