WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement today in reaction to an announcement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has taken all of the steps necessary under Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement – to trigger Implementation Day:

“Today is a pivotal moment in the history of this agreement. Under this deal, Iran has relinquished twelve tons of fissile material, put more than 12,000 centrifuges in storage, permanently disabled its plutonium reactor at the Arak facility, and agreed to rigorous inspections by the IAEA. Before this agreement, Iran was approximately three months away from having enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon. Today, that breakout time is now closer to a year.

“But, I have long said that the agreement’s success hinges on its effective implementation, and that is especially true now more than ever. In the months and years ahead, it is imperative that the United States and our partner nations continue to engage tirelessly with the IAEA to ensure that Iran continues to comply with the strict requirements and rigorous standards established under the terms of this agreement. It is also imperative that we work with the international community and our partners in the region to forcefully counter Iran's destructive activities that are contributing significantly to the instability in the Middle East. This includes responding forcefully and soon to Iran's October 2015 medium range missile test that violated a United Nations Security Council resolution.

“At the end of the day, our national security interests depend not only on preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, but also on taking the actions necessary to increase the stability of the region.”

Today, known as Implementation Day, marks the day on which the IAEA verified that Iran implemented its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA. Following the IAEA verification, the European Union (EU) and United States took the actions necessary to lift sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program. The sanctions relief includes freeing assets belonging to Iran that had been previously frozen in overseas banks. No U.S. taxpayer dollars are being given to Iran, and most U.S. companies will continue to be prohibited from doing business with Iran. Other sanctions not related to Iran's nuclear program will remain in place. ‎

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