No illusions about Iran

As members of the New York congressional delegation, we have always been committed to working across the aisle and doing what’s best for all New Yorkers. But there is one issue that brings us together even more than others: preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

National security transcends party politics, and a nuclear Iran would pose a grave national security concern to the United States as well as to our allies around the world.

For decades, Iran has illicitly pursued a nuclear weapon while simultaneously lying to the international community and cheating on its international non-proliferation obligations. We must be under no illusions that Iran will be become a trustworthy member of the family of nations with the signing of a pen.

As the U.S. works to finalize an agreement with Iran in the coming weeks, we must be mindful of the ramifications of any agreement that is less than ironclad. For an agreement to truly cut off Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, it must include a rigorous inspections and verification regime that gives international inspectors access to potential nuclear sites without approval from Iran.

We have serious concerns with numerous elements of this possible agreement. The agreement should mandate that Iran disclose its past military-related nuclear activities. Without this information, it is impossible to know the real length of Iran’s break out time or to create an accurate verification mechanism.

Another key element is slow, phased in sanctions relief that is commensurate with Iran’s compliance. A potential “signing bonus” would provide Iran with a flood of cash before it begins to implement the agreement. Iran does not deserve the benefit of the doubt given its history of violating international obligations and pursuing a nuclear weapons program illicitly. It remains the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism. Iran is bankrolling Hezbollah, the brutal Assad regime in Syria, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and other terrorist organizations that threaten the U.S. and our allies around the world.

Finally, an agreement should ensure that Iran's enrichment facilities and heavy water reactor are not simply turned off, but rather, substantially degraded and disabled. Without doing so, it would be akin to giving a convicted murderer an unloaded gun and simply stashing the bullets in the closet. Other concerns exist as well, such as the proper translation of the document between our respective languages. The Iranians must agree to the negotiated language in both Persian and English.

The national security of the U.S. and our allies and regional stability must not be turned into a political issue. Preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is vital to all New Yorkers and all Americans. We will review any agreement submitted to Congress through the lens of what is best for New York and what is best for America.

Stefanik has represented New York’s 21st Congressional District since2015. She sits on the Armed Services and the Education and the Workforce committees. Higgins represents New York’s 26th Congressional District and has served in the House since 2005. He sits on the Foreign Affairs and the Homeland Security committees. Meng has represented New York’s 6th Congressional District since 2013. She sits on the Foreign Affairs and the Small Business committees. Zeldin has represented New York’s 1st Congressional District since 2015. He sits on the Foreign Affairs; the Transportation; and the Veterans’ Affairs committees.

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