Langevin Statement on Iran Agreement

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement in response to the deal reached on Iran’s nuclear program:

“After decades of tension and sanctions, and nearly two years of intense negotiations, it is encouraging to see this progress. There are many difficult questions that need to be answered before I can support any deal with Iran, but I applaud the negotiators for their commitment to this critical challenge, and I look forward to reviewing the agreement in the days to come. In the not so distant past, the prospect of reaching any agreement seemed impossible. That we have made it this far is the result of hard work and commitment to diplomacy on the part of the Administration and our international partners in negotiation. But the work is far from finished.

“I am eager to review the details of this agreement to ensure that it is verifiable, that the goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran is guaranteed, and that there will be serious and immediate repercussions for any failure on Iran’s part to meet its obligations. For the sake of our friends in Israel, for our allies worldwide and for our own national security, we cannot let Iran obtain a nuclear weapon. We have no reason to trust Iran, and as Congress begins to scrutinize this deal, we must keep that at the front of our minds. Iran has long been a destabilizing force in the region, with a dangerous history of sanctioned terrorism. Transparency, oversight and strong inspections are critical to ensuring the efficacy of this agreement.”