Arutz Sheva
Washington responds to Trump Iran announcement
'This Administration is resolved to addressing the totality of Iran’s destabilizing activities.'
By Mordechai Sones
Reactions to US President Donald Trump's Iran announcement continue to arrive, with broad support being expressed by leaders in Congress and the Administration.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “As we exit the Iran deal, we will be working with our allies to find a real, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Iranian threat. We have a shared interest with our allies in Europe and around the world to prevent Iran from ever developing a nuclear weapon. But our effort is broader than just the nuclear threat and we will be working together with partners to eliminate the threat of Iran’s ballistic missile program; to stop its terrorist activities worldwide; and to block its menacing activity across the Middle East and beyond. As we build this global effort, sanctions will go into full effect and will remind the Iranian regime of the diplomatic and economic isolation that results from its reckless and malign activity.”
Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin commented: “President Trump has been consistent and clear that this Administration is resolved to addressing the totality of Iran’s destabilizing activities. We will continue to work with our allies to build an agreement that is truly in the best interest of our long-term national security. The United States will cut off the IRGC’s access to capital to fund Iranian malign activity, including its status as the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, its use of ballistic missiles against our allies, its support for the brutal Assad regime in Syria, its human rights violations against its own people, and its abuses of the international financial system.”
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley: “The President absolutely made the right decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. This was a terrible deal that only allowed Iran’s bad international conduct to worsen. We must never allow Iran to get nuclear weapons, and we must resist their support for terrorism that continues to threaten America and our allies.”
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI): “From the beginning, the Obama-era Iran Deal was deeply flawed. Iran’s hostile actions since its signing have only reaffirmed that it remains dedicated to sowing instability in the region. The president’s announcement today is a strong statement that we can and must do better.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action represented a deeply flawed agreement which President Trump has determined is not in the national security interests of the United States … I share the objective and commitment made by the President that Iran should never be able to acquire or develop a nuclear weapon.”
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA): “The Iran Deal is a bad deal. Through his action today, President Trump sent a strong signal to Iran and other foreign adversaries that nuclear proliferation has consequences … I support smart diplomacy to keep America safe, but we must oppose bad deals that give our enemies a pathway to a nuclear bomb, which is why I applaud the President’s actions.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR): “The Iran nuclear deal, terribly flawed from the beginning, at best only delayed Iran from getting the bomb while handing over hundreds of billions in sanctions relief, money that Iran uses to support terrorism and build long-range missiles. Tough sanctions are a first step toward rolling back Iran’s campaign of terror, but it won’t be the last.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): “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.”
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS): “President Trump is right to get out of the Iran Nuclear Deal and impose economic sanctions in order to force a more legitimate agreement to fight the threat Iran poses to our interests, our allies, and peace in the region. The Obama agreement allowed the regime in Tehran to benefit economically, while it maintained a nuclear program, supported global terrorism, and threatened the survival of Israel. I commend the President for his bold action.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): “I strongly support President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. He made a strong and convincing case for this position. The agreement has always been fatally flawed when it came to controlling Iranian nuclear ambitions.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): “Today, @POTUS boldly told the world that the United States will not be bound by an agreement that advances the interests of an enemy committed to the destruction of our nation and our allies. I commend President Trump for exiting the Obama Iranian nuclear deal and for his commitment to confronting Iran’s ‘Death to America’ regime.”
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