Peter Schorsch
President Donald Trump is following through on his campaign threat and withdrawing the U.S. from the landmark nuclear accord with Iran.
The president has long criticized the 2015 agreement, which lifted most U.S. and international sanctions against the country. In return, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program making it impossible to produce a bomb, along with rigorous inspections.
The decision deals a profound blow to some of America’s closest allies — including Britain, France and Germany, who joined the U.S. only three years ago to sign the deal.
Here’s how Florida politicians are reacting to the announcement:
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson:
“We need to put more pressure on Iran with additional economic sanctions to stop them from developing their ICBM missiles. But pulling out of this deal now is a tragic mistake. It will divide us from our European allies and it will allow Iran to build a nuclear bomb within a year, instead of preventing it for at least 7 to 12 years.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio:
“I’m glad that President Trump decided today to withdraw from the flawed Iran nuclear deal and impose crippling economic and financial sanctions against the Iranian regime.
“This agreement was so bad that bipartisan majorities in both chambers of Congress voted against it after the last Administration refused to submit it as a legally-binding treaty under the Constitution. The deal enriched Iranian regime and empowered it to destabilize the Middle East. Instead of using the deal’s financial windfall to benefit the Iranian people, Iran’s mullahs aggressively built up their ballistic missile program, boosted their support to Hezbollah terrorists and Syria’s Assad regime, and escalated domestic repression.
“After Israel’s recent revelations of Iran’s secret archive of nuclear weaponization plans, the American people deserve better than a bad deal that paves the Iranian terror regime’s path to nuclear weapons. And the Iranian people deserve better as they continue to suffer under the regime’s criminal corruption, economic mismanagement, and system-wide human rights abuses.”
Governor Rick Scott:
“Last week I called on President Trump to withdraw from the reckless deal because it is naïve to think that the same people who chant ‘death to America’ and vow to destroy the entire state of Israel will be honest and play by the rules. Israel is our friend and our ally and I am always going to stand with them – not those that wish harm against Israel. The president made the right move today by scrapping the Iran Deal and re-imposing sanctions against the Iranian regime. The deal has done very little to stop Iran from staying on the path of developing a nuclear weapon, and a nuclear Iran is a dangerous proposition to the United States, Israel, and our other allies in the region. I look forward to the Administration pursuing ways to make sure we keep these weapons out of the hands of the Iranian regime.”
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist:
“Iran promotes violence and terrorism throughout the Middle East and around the world. Their development of ballistic missiles and human rights violations must continue to be addressed and dealt with severely.
“Tearing up the Iran deal, an international agreement to block their efforts to gain a nuclear weapon, is short-sighted and misguided. It divides the international coalition created to hold Iran accountable to a robust compliance regime and does nothing to advance U.S. interests. President Trump’s decision to withdraw from this agreement undermines America’s credibility, strengthens the hand of pro-nuclear weapon hard liners in Iran, and makes the Middle East an even less stable place.”
U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, via Twitter:
“POTUS has consistently & correctly recognized Obama-Khamenei nuclear agreement as a disaster. Hope he allows domestic sanctions against Iran to be imposed. Won’t fully rectify mistake of the deal but can be start of an approach that holds Iran accountable for malevolent actions.”
U.S. Rep Ted Deutch:
“I regret the President’s decision to weaken American leadership around the globe.
“I have expressed my concerns about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but I have been clear that American leadership is necessary for the vigorous enforcement of its terms. Nothing in the deal precludes us from going after Iran’s dangerous non-nuclear activities. But unilaterally walking away from the JCPOA will not help stop Iran’s pursuit of ballistic missiles, nor will it give access for inspectors to sites of concern, and it won’t extend the length of the restrictions under the JCPOA.
“This isn’t how we ‘get tough’ on Iran. In fact, President Trump’s decision today makes it harder to exert American leadership and influence on all of the dangerous things Iran continues to do outside the scope of the deal. To stop Iran from developing and testing ballistic missiles and to crackdown on its support for terrorism, we should lead our allies on the imposition of tough multilateral sanctions. To stop Iran’s human rights abuses and its hostage taking of foreign nationals, including my constituent Bob Levinson, we should lead our allies in a broad coalition to exert significant pressure on the Iranian regime.
“We walk away from this deal alone, losing visibility into Iran’s nuclear activities and losing our ability to make sure the deal is being enforced in the strictest manner possible. By casting aside our allies we lose their trust and weaken our position to lead the international community in preventing Iranian nuclear weapons, stopping Iran’s destabilizing behavior, and on other pressing global security issues.
“Now that the President has chosen to pull the US out of the JCPOA, he must explain to Congress, the American people, and the world what is his plan to ensure Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon? How will we prevent Iran from continuing to destabilize the Middle East and threaten our national interests and the security of our allies?
“As the President chooses to walk alone, Congress must continue to work with our allies to stop Iran from exporting terror, pursuing ballistic missiles, violating human rights, and ensuring it never acquires a nuclear weapon. Unfortunately, the President’s decision today is an abdication of American leadership and trust.”
U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart:
“I strongly support the Trump Administration’s withdrawal from the reckless and dangerous Iran deal, a serious threat to our national security that finances global terrorism. I voted against the deal in 2015 because it did nothing to prevent Iran’s development of missiles, nor would it permanently end its nuclear weapons program. As I said after that vote, the Iran deal paved the way for a dangerous state sponsor of terrorism to achieve what it wanted most – nuclear weapons, and the means and funds to deliver them.
“Since then, the deal has provided legitimacy and millions in economic relief to a murderous, oppressive regime that opposes U.S. interests and threatens America’s allies. Iran continues to assist its terrorist proxies and international terrorist networks, directly endangering U.S. soldiers and America’s allies, has exacerbated violence in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, as well as instability in Lebanon. Additionally, Iran has continued developing its missile arsenal, launching over 20 ballistic missiles since the deal was signed in 2015.
“I commend the Trump Administration for taking this bold step to withdraw from this reckless deal that poses a threat to the United States, and for standing with our close ally Israel. The regime in Iran cannot be trusted, and today’s withdrawal gives the United States and our allies a chance to forge a better path toward global stability and a nuclear-free Iran.”
U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn:
“I stand with President Trump in his decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. Iran has a proven record of state-sponsored terrorism and human rights abuses. Ensuring Iran does not have nuclear capabilities should remain a top priority. Unfortunately, the Iran nuclear deal did nothing to hinder the country’s ability to obtain these weapons and they continue to enrich uranium, which is explicitly forbidden in the deal.
“Further, President Obama entered into this agreement as an executive action behind closed doors and it was not a treaty. It was never voted on in the Senate. It has done nothing to inhibit this terror-ridden regime in Iran from causing terror and unrest throughout the world.
“I commend President Trump for keeping his promise and I continue to support stronger sanctions against Iran. We can and should make a better deal.”
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz:
“The Iran Nuclear Deal struck under the Obama administration essentially paved a yellow cake uranium brick road for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. From its inception, the JCPOA was a fatally flawed deal that should have never been made and has never served the best interest of the American people or our allies. I fully support President Trump’s decision today to withdraw the United States from the Iran Nuclear Deal, as well as his ability and foresight to build a new structure that will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”
U.S. Rep. Brian Mast:
“President Trump clearly understands the importance of many issues that the Obama Administration chose to ignore. The government of Iran, by their own admission, wants America and Israel destroyed. But this historically bad deal provided a clear pathway for Iran to expand its nuclear weapons program, and Iran has boldly declared that, despite the deal, they can kick-start and produce enriched uranium within two days.
“The sanctions lifted under the deal have emboldened Iran and given them access to more than $100 billion in previously frozen assets. With the help of that money, Iran is colonizing the Middle East through their terror arm Hezbollah. They have imprisoned U.S. citizens, taken our sailors hostage and fired rockets towards our Navy. And a parade of concessions by the Obama Administration empowered Iran to test-launch more than a dozen ballistic missiles and threaten to use those same missiles to strike U.S. military bases.
“President Trump’s decisive action today is a much needed first step in the long road to undoing the damage caused by President Obama, Secretary Kerry, Secretary Clinton and their foreign policy advisors. No deal with Iran is far wiser than a bad deal.”
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross:
“The Iran Deal, agreed to by the previous administration without the consent of Congress, empowered Iran to continue its pursuit of terror and human rights abuse throughout the region. Rife with secret side agreements that jeopardize the safety of Americans both abroad and within our homeland, I welcome President Trump’s decisive action to withdraw from this deeply flawed deal, and to reimpose sanctions on the Iranian regime.”
“Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. We must hold them accountable, both now and moving forward.”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz:
“President Trump’s misguided decision to violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will make it considerably more difficult to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, which would present an unacceptable threat to our national security and the security of the State of Israel. While the deal isn’t perfect, it has placed verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear program, and top Trump Administration officials have acknowledged that Iran is compliant with its obligations under the agreement.
The U.S. recklessly walking away from the deal, with no apparent plan in its place, provides the dangerous Iranian regime the freedom to immediately ratchet up its nuclear activity. I will work with my colleagues in Congress to fill the leadership void that the President has created on this global security issue.
We must continue to work with our allies and partners to redouble our efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and to continue to counter Iran’s other nefarious activity in the region. Regrettably, the President’s decision today is a step in the wrong direction, and I worry it will prove to be a mistake with grievous consequences.”
