Washington, D.C. —(ENEWSPF)–April 2, 2015. Today, as details on the progress of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program emerged, Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
We welcome the agreement reached between the P5+1 negotiators and Iran on a framework for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Much hard work remains to finalize the details of the comprehensive and robust framework presented today. But we should also recognize that more has been achieved over the past 18 months of negotiations than the previous decades of confrontation on this issue.
A final agreement based on the parameters outlined today would close off Iran’s main pathways to a nuclear weapon for a decade or more and allow for unprecedented access and oversight of its nuclear capability through an intrusive inspections regime. Crucially, the burden is on Iran to prove that it is complying with any final agreement, and sanctions will be suspended only after Iran has lived up to its side of the bargain. If Iran violates the deal, U.S. and EU sanctions will be swiftly reimposed.
While today’s agreement represents a historic achievement for American diplomacy, Congress must recognize that this is not a deal solely between the United States and Iran, but one negotiated by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and Russia over a matter of global security. Efforts to undermine the talks at this stage would undermine not only U.S. national security, but also that of our closest allies and the interests of the international community. Congress should give the negotiators the time and breathing room to finish their work and secure the best possible deal.
It is also important to remember that the progress announced today in Lausanne does not absolve Iran of responsibility for the destabilizing role it continues to play in many parts of the Middle East. The United States should continue to stand with our allies and partners in the region to ensure that Iran does not threaten their security and the well-being of their people. This framework does nothing to undermine that commitment.
Source: www.americanprogress.org
