Source: US Sen Coons’ Office
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement in response to President Trump announcing the U.S. and Iran will soon sign a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire, lift the U.S. blockade of Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and a durable end to Trump’s war in Iran:
“If true, President Trump’s announcement is a step in the right direction to end the reckless war he started. Unfortunately, the president has made many promises about this war and fulfilled few of them. The fact that we have not seen any text of an agreement, while he and Iranian leaders once again say different things about what has been agreed, highlights why we need to see this deal immediately.
“There are critical questions we should all be asking: Is the Strait of Hormuz actually open to all commercial traffic? Will Iran retain any control over it and what mechanism will govern travel through it? What sanctions relief, release of frozen assets, or other economic windfall does the Trump administration plan to offer Iran and when? What will be the status of Iran’s enriched nuclear material stockpile and how will its enrichment capabilities be curtailed or ended? How will we ensure Iran actually complies with any nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran if one is reached? What inspections regime will there be and will the IAEA be involved?
“The Trump administration long criticized the JCPOA under President Obama for not placing limits on Iranian missile production and Iranian support of proxies in the region. How does this deal treat those issues? Does it address them at all?
“This war has come at a high cost: we have spent tens of billions of dollars, felt the brunt of soaring inflation and higher gas and fertilizer prices, 14 American service members are dead, and hundreds more are wounded. While a ceasefire and negotiations are a positive development, so far this war of choice has only made American service members and civilians less safe and left many key questions unanswered or unaddressed.”
