Skip to main content

Statement by Congressman Dan Kildee on President Trump’s Decision to Leave the Iran Nuclear Agreement

May 8, 2018

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) issued the following statement today after President Trump pulled the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear agreement:

"President Trump's dangerous decision to tear up the Iran agreement puts America's national security at risk and opens up a path for Iran to build a nuclear weapon. In making this decision, the President has ignored the facts and rejected the advice of top military and foreign policy experts.

"The Iran nuclear agreement's sole objective is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Before this agreement, Iran had the capability to build a nuclear bomb in a matter of months. But because of this diplomatic agreement, Iran gave up its stockpiles of enriched uranium and was subject to independent inspections to make sure they are complying with the deal. Like any negotiation, the Iran agreement is not perfect, but it has so far achieved its goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

"To be clear—Iran continues to be a bad actor on the world stage. Iran continues to unjustly imprison American citizens. For four and a half years, they held my constituent, Amir Hekmati, as a political prisoner. Iran has also taken disruptive actions in order to destabilize the Middle East region. These serious provocations by Iran must be addressed. But it is much wiser for the United States and our allies to diplomatically address these bad behaviors without Iran having nuclear weapons.

"The President's decision to leave the Iran nuclear agreement jeopardizes American credibility and closes off America's diplomatic channels, not just with Iran, but with our allies around the globe. With other serious threats across the globe, including North Korea, President Trump today has made the world a more dangerous place."