RANGELEY, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, released the following statement after today’s announcement that the administration plans to withhold Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) certification to Congress.

“While I’m deeply concerned with Iran’s malign activity in the region, I believe that remaining in the JCPOA at this time is in our national security interest. This is not just my opinion – when I questioned Secretary Mattis on the subject, he unequivocally told the Senate Armed Services Committee the same thing. In addition, national security officials have told us that Iran has abided by the terms of the agreement, and our allies have made clear that they are unlikely to support a renegotiation of the agreement.

“I understand that this deal is not perfect – it was never meant to be a friendship agreement, nor was it meant to address all of Iran’s  actions in the region. However, it is meant to severely curtail Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons in the near term. Without this agreement, we will not be able to monitor Iran’s nuclear program as effectively and Iran would be unconstrained in its pursuit of a nuclear weapon. And, in my view, the only thing worse than a malevolent Iran is a malevolent Iran with nuclear weapons.

“As the next steps shift to Congress, I am committed to holding Iran accountable and will work with my colleagues toward that goal. I will consider options that strengthen pressures on Iran without violating the JCPOA and thereby increasing risks to the region and the world.”

Senator King carefully reviewed the JCPOA in 2015, calling it a flawed deal that is preferable to the available alternatives. During a recent hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King asked Secretary of Defense James Mattis if he believed remaining in the deal at the present time is in our national security interest, to which Secretary Mattis replied, “Yes, Senator, I do.”  

Presidential certification is required under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (INARA) every 90 days. If the administration does not certify the agreement, under INARA, Congress may act within 60 days to re-impose sanctions lifted under the JCPOA. If Congress chooses not to re-impose sanctions, then the United States will remain in compliance with its JCPOA obligations.

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