Ploughshares Fund Supports Historic Iran Nuclear Agreement

Washington, DC – Ploughshares Fund welcomes today’s announcement by the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran regarding the framework agreement over Iran’s nuclear program. This provides a practical outline for a comprehensive agreement that will protect U.S. security by cutting off Iran’s paths to a nuclear weapon. Much work remains to be done, and we support the international negotiators as they work to finalize the technical details over the coming months.

“This framework is an historic breakthrough for the United States,” said Joe Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund. “There is still important work to do. But this is a critical step toward a final agreement preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb without putting U.S. troops in harm’s way. It is good for America, it is good for Israel, and it is good for our allies. It is a big win for global security.”

“Diplomacy is the only way to achieve a lasting solution to the Iran nuclear crisis,” said Philip Yun, Executive Director of Ploughshares Fund. “The key is verification and monitoring. This agreement does not rely on trust. A comprehensive deal will ramp up intrusive inspections that will deter Iran from cheating and detect it if Iran tried. If Iran ever goes for a bomb, we will know about it and have time to respond.”

“The U.S. Senate should avoid taking any steps to undermine this framework, such as holding a premature vote. This could kill the deal before it is finished,” said Tom Collina, Policy Director of Ploughshares Fund. “And the alternatives are much worse - an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program or another war in the Middle East. The choice is clear.”