Washington, D.C. — As the June 30 deadline for a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran nears, the Center for American Progress has released a paper laying out the necessary criteria by which a potential final deal should be judged. The authors argue that a strong, enforceable deal meeting these criteria should be the main objective, regardless of whether it is achieved by the deadline or takes additional time.
A deal that verifiably neutralizes the Iranian nuclear threat for a long period is worth the wait, and the negotiators should be afforded that flexibility. The paper reiterates the criteria for a successful nuclear agreement that CAP laid out in April. The authors argue that if the deal meets these benchmarks, Congress should vote to approve the deal as stipulated by the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act.
“Negotiators should not be pressured from our side to slip on any key components of the deal in order to meet a self-imposed deadline,” said Vikram Singh, Vice President for National Security and International Policy at CAP. “Congress should focus on U.S. negotiators getting an agreement right to effectively remove one of the most acute risks to U.S. security.”
The main criteria that a successful deal should meet include:
- Cutting off all of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon, both public and clandestine
- Providing for a rigorous international inspections regime
- Tying sanctions relief to a clear demonstration of Iran fulfilling its commitments and allowing for a swift snapback of the sanctions without interference from China and Russia
- Allowing the United States to continue to counter Iran’s support for terrorism and human rights abuses without affecting the deal
- Keeping all U.S. options on the table to stop Iran from developing a weapon
Click here to read the paper.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.