Senator Murray’s Statement on President Trump’s Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal

(Washington DC)  – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 multilateral agreement preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“I oppose this latest reckless move by President Trump and strongly encourage him to reconsider. President Trump taking these steps to pull the United States out of this deal right now, without presenting any good evidence or rationale that Iran has violated it, moves us further from our goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it erodes our nation’s ability to make new diplomatic agreements as we head into critical talks with North Korea, and it increases regional tension and moves us closer to armed conflict that should be avoided if at all possible.

“When I decided to support the deal in 2015, I laid out four clear principles that guided me. I said that first and foremost, Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Second, Iran cannot be trusted, and no deal should hinge on them holding up their end of the bargain based on their word or good faith alone. Third, a strong diplomatic solution is the best option. And fourth, the United States needs to keep all options on the table, including military options, if Iran decides to move toward a nuclear weapon or threatens us or our allies in any other way.

“I view our continued participation in the deal through the prism of these same four principles, and I continue to believe that this deal offers us the best path to safety and security for our country and our allies, and the best approach to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, all while giving the U.S. and its allies the ability to keep the pressure on Iran and respond appropriately to its dangerous actions. Holding this brutal regime accountable becomes much more difficult if Iran is racing toward the bomb instead of being constrained by the terms of the deal.

“If Iran has violated the terms of the deal, then President Trump should present the evidence. As I said in 2015 in support of this deal, I will be ready to join others in moving quickly on other options if Iran doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain. But I just haven’t seen any compelling evidence that this is the case, and in the absence of that, I strongly oppose President Trump beginning the process of pulling our nation out of this agreement.“