With Iran, A Bad Deal is Worse than No Deal

Last week, the President announced a nuclear agreement with Iran. Preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb should have taken priority over everything in these negotiations.

Instead, the Obama administration's plan will only delay Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon, and will likely invite other Middle East nations, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, to develop their own programs.

Under the agreement, Iran is required to cut its number of uranium enriching centrifuges in half, sell most of its current uranium stockpile, and accept inspections with 24 days advance notice. In return, the United States and Europe will be giving Iran's economy a major boost by eliminating hundreds of billions in economic sanctions.

Most importantly, the agreement does not force Iran to eliminate its non-civilian nuclear program, merely requiring it to halt expansion for 10 years. After those 10 years, Iran is free to resume and ramp up its nuclear program.

It is unfortunate that President Obama was interested in making a deal with Iran regardless of the cost. I am deeply concerned about the threat it poses to both the US and Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East. As Congress exercises its authority to review and vote on this agreement, we must do everything possible to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon.

Sincerely,

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Sam Graves