We're going to see a 'nuclear breakout' from Iran: Gen. Kellogg
Retired Lieut. Gen. Keith Kellogg discusses the implications of Biden administration lifting some sanctions from Iran and unfreezing billions in assets on 'Sunday Night in America.'
Reports have recently emerged that a new nuclear deal with Iran, the world’s largest sponsor of terror will be concluded within days. As the U.S. condemns Russia for putting its nuclear deterrence forces on high alert, and states they are concerned about Russia’s "aggression" in doing so, it seems they are simultaneously working to make possible another nuclear state.
Tellingly, since the return to the negotiating table in Vienna, three of the U.S.’ top negotiators have resigned, stating that there is no future to the agreement and that the Biden administration is being too lenient with Iran. The U.S. has not paused to question these notable resignations and has plowed ahead regardless, notwithstanding the fact that the Iranian regime will not negotiate directly with them, nor that they are negotiating with a country that burns their flags and has publicly labeled them "the enemy."
With less than three years until the original JCPOA deal reaches its conclusion in 2025, the P5+1, namely, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States, are not only stampeding toward a bad agreement, they are doing so with minimal modifications and have committed to plying the fanatic Iranian regime with billions of dollars that will undoubtedly be used to fund more terror and sow more havoc. This time the deal is not just bad, it is much, much worse.
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This revised 2022 deal does nothing to factor in the progress that Iran has made in recent years nor does it address the clauses that have already expired, or those that will expire in the short term. Moreover, since the original deal was signed in 2015, Iran has knowingly been in breach many times, and has broken the agreement to enrich uranium to 60%, which is exceptionally close to weapon-grade nuclear capabilities.
In recent years the IAEA discovered many undeclared nuclear sites in Iran. These will not be investigated under the new agreement. Like the original JCPOA, this deal entirely ignores Iran’s research and development into long-range ballistic missiles and its sponsoring of terror throughout the region.
It is unquestionable that this renewed deal will not serve anyone’s interests other than those of Iran.
In exchange for signing the deal, and the billions of dollars the regime will reap, Iran has been promised that sanctions will be lifted on scores of terror organizations and individuals that have committed some of the worst possible atrocities. These include the lifting of sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which have conducted dozens of terror attacks globally.
It also includes the lifting of sanctions on individuals such as Ebrahim Raisi, also known as the Butcher of Tehran for his sham trials and mass execution of over 5,000 innocent Iranians in 1988, as well as for the murderous Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who personally ordered the murder of thousands of innocent Iranian dissidents who dared to protest against the corrupt and oppressive regime.
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In return, the P5+1 will receive absolutely nothing. Iran will not be expected to destroy any of its advanced centrifuges. There will be a few added clauses, such as to reduce enrichment, but as Iran has already acquired capabilities to enrich at much higher levels this is arguably expendable. There have been no compromises from Iran on ballistic missiles or terrorist activities.
Most worryingly, we recently saw the Russian negotiator, Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov, bragging in a recent interview that Russia was able to team up with China and Iran to get Iran a much better deal and that "Iran got much more than it could expect."
It is unquestionable that this renewed deal will not serve anyone’s interests other than those of Iran. While doing so it will leave Iran on the brink of nuclear capabilities. Instead of negotiating an end to terror or destruction of weaponry, the P5+1 has simply removed terror designations and appeased Iran throughout the process.
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The deal being concluded in Vienna is not only a danger to the oppressed people of Iran and to Israel, whom the Iranian regime has threatened to destroy. It is also a danger to the Middle East region, to U.S. forces in the region, and to the world. This bad deal unshackles Iran to not only continue its current export of terror but enables the regime to step up its atrocities, both toward its own people and throughout the region.
This deal is a farce and must be stopped.