Corker: The Next President Must First Review Iran's Violations of the Agreement

Bob Corker, the Republican Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke with Voice of America about various topics, including the Syrian peace negotiations and the nuclear agreement with Iran. This Republican senator welcomed diplomatic negotiations aimed at achieving peace in Syria but expressed skepticism that these talks would result in an end to the killings in Syria and the departure of Bashar al-Assad from power. Senator Corker pointed to Russia's actions in Syria, stating that given the victories Bashar al-Assad has achieved on the battlefield, the environment in Syria is such that Assad is unlikely to voluntarily relinquish power. A staunch critic of the comprehensive nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, Corker commented on his opposition to the deal, saying that Iran now has access to significant resources that it previously lacked due to sanctions, allowing it to continue research and development aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons. Corker stated that he wished for the nuclear agreement to succeed, but since its implementation, there has been no resistance to Iran's ballistic missile tests, as Europe sees significant economic interests in Iran. He noted that Russia and China, who were involved in the nuclear negotiations with the United States and Iran, are currently engaged in arms and oil deals with Tehran, and there is no early resistance to Iran's actions. Corker added, 'I want this [agreement with Iran] to succeed... sending the signal to Iran that violations [of the agreement] will be taken seriously is the only way the agreement can succeed.' Voice of America asked Corker about President Barack Obama's statement that the agreement with Iran would be enforced rigorously and that sanctions against Iran would be quickly reinstated if necessary; Corker responded, 'Just look at what has happened so far; have our partners shown any resistance to ballistic missile tests? No, they will not, unless something strange happens... I think Congress must stand firm in a bipartisan effort to prevent this from happening.' The Voice of America reporter mentioned that some of Washington's allies were partners in the nuclear negotiations with Iran and asked Corker about some Republicans in the U.S. Senate who have said that the nuclear agreement with Iran should be torn up the moment a new president enters the White House next year; Corker replied that he is 'disappointed' with America's allies, adding that 'significant economic interests have influenced their decisions regarding Iran.'