John Kerry: The Nuclear Agreement Does Not Aim to Reform the Iranian Regime

On Tuesday evening, August 6, three ministers from the Obama administration attended a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to answer questions from its members regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran. John Kerry, Jacob Lew, and Ernest Moniz, the U.S. Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Energy, were present at this session. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, reiterated his defense of the nuclear agreement with Iran, addressing the committee members: "The Iran agreement is a good deal for the world, for America, and it deserves your support." The U.S. Secretary of State assured that "the agreement ensures that Iran's nuclear program will remain under strict oversight." He stated that the agreement with Iran would bring greater security for our country and our allies, saying: "The agency will continuously monitor Iran's uranium from the production point for the next 25 years." Mr. Kerry continued by saying that under this agreement, Iran is "forever" prohibited from acquiring nuclear weapons, and many of the restrictions imposed on Iran's nuclear program are "not just for 15 or 20 years but for a lifetime." The Iran agreement is a good deal for the world, for America, and it deserves your support. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, acknowledged that he is aware of Israel's concerns regarding the nuclear program, stating: "We are monitoring other activities of Iran, and I understand their concerns." Mr. Kerry said: "Iranian leaders have been permanently prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. If they violate this, we will know." The U.S. Secretary of State stated: "If Iran does not allow access to its military facilities, sanctions will be reinstated." He said: "Sanctions will not end; they are a diplomatic tool that will enable us to achieve what we want, something that sanctions alone will not accomplish." This senior U.S. official added: "If we withdraw, we will lose our best chance to resolve this issue through peaceful means." He emphasized: "We have two options: either proceed with this agreement and ensure that Iran's nuclear program is limited and peaceful, or have no agreement at all." The U.S. Secretary of State stressed: "This agreement is meant to resolve only the nuclear issue, not to reform the Iranian regime or end its support for terrorism and participation in sectarian violence in the Middle East." The agreement (with Iran), instead of being verifiable and enforceable, gives Iran a huge amount of money to continue its policies in the region with greater resources. Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that "Washington will push Iran back on every front. But the truth is that pushing back a non-nuclear Iran is much easier than a nuclear-armed Iran." Mr. Kerry stated: "Barack Obama has made it clear from the first day of his presidency that we do not accept a nuclear-armed Iran." He added: "If Congress rejects this agreement, the international cooperation that has been established in this regard will disappear overnight." The U.S. Secretary of State warned: "If we withdraw from this agreement, we will be alone. Our partners will not support us. Instead, they will abandon the multilateral sanctions that brought Iran to the negotiating table." In contrast, Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and representative from California, said that the government is asking Congress to vote in favor of an agreement that imposes temporary restrictions on the nuclear program in exchange for reducing sanctions on Iran. He added: This agreement, instead of being verifiable and enforceable, gives Iran a huge amount of money to continue its policies in the region with greater resources. Eliot Engel, a Democratic representative, also opposed the Iran agreement, stating that he has "serious questions and concerns about this agreement." About $50 billion of blocked funds will be returned to Iran. The U.S. Treasury Secretary stated last week that senior U.S. senators accused Mr. Kerry of being "taken for a ride" by the Iranians during the Vienna negotiations. Many Republicans, including candidates from this party in the 2016 presidential race, are calling for Congress to reject this agreement. The U.S. Congress is set to vote on this agreement by September 17. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, has threatened to veto the agreement if Congress rejects it. Jacob Lew, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, said at this meeting: "The core U.S. sanctions will remain in effect. Except for essential cases, Iran will not have access to a wide range of international markets." He stated that commanders of the Revolutionary Guard and Quds Force will remain on the sanctions list due to Iran's support for terrorism. Mr. Lew, stating that sanctions on Iran will be lifted gradually, added: "About $50 billion of blocked funds will be returned to Iran." According to the agreement reached on July 24 in Vienna, global powers agreed to lift international sanctions against Iran in exchange for imposing strict limitations on Tehran's nuclear program.