Gottheimer, Bacon lead bipartisan call for zero-enrichment standard in any Iran nuclear deal
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) on Friday, June 13, led a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging President Donald Trump to ensure that any nuclear agreement with Iran prohibits uranium enrichment and eliminates any pathway to nuclear weapons.
In a letter to the president, the lawmakers voiced concern that Iran is misleading negotiators and stalling talks to prevent meaningful progress. The letter followed recent military action by Israel, which launched strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, missile bases and senior leadership in response to what Israeli officials described as an imminent threat.
“There is no such thing as peaceful uranium enrichment when it involves Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” the members wrote. “The strikes on Iranian enrichment facilities — as well as on missile factories and command centers — were carried out in response to what Israeli officials called an imminent threat. The Israeli military assessed that Iran has already enriched enough uranium for multiple nuclear weapons. Just yesterday, the IAEA confirmed that Iran has violated its nonproliferation obligations for decades. The world can no longer afford the illusion of time.”
The lawmakers called for a firm U.S. stance: “The United States must maintain a position of absolute clarity: zero enrichment, zero pathway to a nuclear weapon. Any framework that deviates from this standard will face strong bipartisan opposition in Congress.”
The letter was signed by Gottheimer, Bacon, and Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), and Darren Soto (D-Fla.).
