Senate Failure to Block JCPOA is a Victory for Nuclear Nonproliferation

Statement by Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director, Arms Control Association

For Immediate Release: September 10, 2015

Media Contacts: Daryl G. Kimball, executive director, 202-463-8270 ext. 107; Timothy Farnsworth, communications director, 202-463-8270 x110.

(Washington, D.C.)—We applaud the U.S. Senate’s decision not to block President Obama’s authority to implement the the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA): the strong, very thorough nonproliferation agreement concluded July 14 by the United States, our P5+1 partners and Iran, which will severely curtail Iran’s nuclear program and stop it well short of nuclear weapons for a generation or more. 

Now, Congress must come together and work with the administration to implement and enforce this agreement, beginning with support for the additional funding that the International Atomic Energy Agency will need to carry out its additional responsibilities to verify Iranian compliance with the JCPOA. It is also essential that the United States, our allies, and states in the Middle East work to strengthen the barriers against further nuclear and missile proliferation by means of region-wide strategies that strengthen the security of all states in the region. 

We look forward to working with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure compliance with the agreement and advance initiatives that further reduce nuclear dangers in the Middle East and elsewhere.

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The Arms Control Association is an independent, membership-based organization dedicated to providing authoritative information and practical policy solutions to address the threats posed by the world's most dangerous weapons.