Trump-Iran deal leaves key issues unresolved, says US Senator

Washington, June 19 (IANS) Senior Democratic Senator Mark Warner questioned the strategic value of President Donald Trump’s newly signed agreement with Iran, arguing that it leaves unresolved Tehran’s ballistic missile programme, regional proxy networks and future nuclear activities while providing the Iranian regime with significant economic relief.

Warner told reporters that the memorandum of understanding signed by Trump and Iran a day earlier failed to achieve several of the objectives the administration had outlined at the start of the conflict.

“We are 111 days in this war,” Warner said. “The thing we absolutely know is that America’s not better off, our people’s not better off, our economy’s not better off.”

Warner, Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus and Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, argued that Iran had emerged from the conflict in a stronger position than many had anticipated.

“Iran took on both the United States and Israel and at least played ’em to a tie,” he said. “And we will be paying the price for this, unfortunately, I think for a long time to come.”

Warner said the agreement’s provision that Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon represented little change from Tehran’s long-standing public position.

“That has been the Iranian government’s position for the last 15 to 20 years. There’s nothing new there,” he said.

He also criticised the absence of any reference to Iran’s ballistic missile programme, which had been a central concern cited by the Trump administration.

“One of the things Trump said at the outset, we gotta get rid of their ballistic missile capabilities,” Warner said. “And then this agreement doesn’t even mention missiles.”

The senator further noted that the memorandum addressed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes, but questioned its significance.

“Well, the Strait of Hormuz was open before the war took place,” he said.

Warner also expressed concern that the agreement did not address Iran-backed groups operating across the Middle East.

“We went into this war as well. Trump said, we gotta stop the Iranian proxies in the region. Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen. This agreement doesn’t even mention the proxies,” he said.

According to Warner, the easing of sanctions could provide Tehran with substantial new resources at a time when the country’s leadership remains deeply hostile to the United States.

“What it does do though, is it immediately lifts sanctions on some of the Iranian oil, which means that tens of billions of dollars will go to the Iranian regime,” he said.

The senator argued that the deal leaves unresolved the central question that drove the conflict.

“You know, we gotta make sure Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon. Well, they’re gonna talk about that for 60 days,” he said.

Warner also voiced concern that the agreement could reduce pressure on Iran’s leadership despite widespread unrest inside the country. He said the memorandum effectively commits the United States to refrain from interfering in Iran’s internal affairs going forward.

–IANS

lkj/rs