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John --
Just in case you didn't see the news this morning, today marks a HUGE diplomatic breakthrough for the U.S. and Iran. After weeks of twists and turns around the fate of the Iran deal, parties to the landmark 2015 accord will meet in Vienna on Tuesday to discuss the steps the U.S. and Iran will take to return to compliance with the agreement.[1] While, there won't be any direct discussions between the two for now, this is a momentous moment for diplomacy.
Make no mistake, there is a TON of work to be done even after these meetings. But John, we would not have reached this landmark moment with YOU.
Since Donald Trump reneged on the deal in 2018, our community has shown up at every turn to prevent war, urge a U.S. return to the nuclear deal, and fight against inhumane sanctions devastating ordinary Iranians--all culminating in the election of President Joe Biden who made it a campaign promise to return to the agreement. But you didn't stop there. For the past ten weeks, you have fought alongside us to hold Biden to that campaign promise.
Just this week, NIAC members and the pro-diplomacy community have sent over 30,000 messages to urge Biden to #ReSealTheDeal. This week has seen a flurry of petitions, tweetstorm, calls to Congress, and a NIAC-hosted panel featuring powerful remarks from pro-diplomacy champions Senator Chris Murphy and Rep. Ro Khanna.[2]
But as I said, our work has just begun. With the Iranian elections on the horizon, we must ensure the U.S. and Iran do not get caught in a web of "who goes first." We must remove all obstacles to sustained diplomacy and focus on building good will and ensure all Trump-era sanctions are lifted and barriers to humanitarian trade are removed. And we must utilize diplomacy to support human rights for Iranians and to release dual nationals languishing in jail.
This renewed momentum is encouraging, but the U.S. can’t afford to let this window pass without fully returning to the path of diplomacy. The time is truly here to reseal the deal. Will you join us, John, in building on this momentum in the coming weeks?
Best,
Jamal Abdi
President, NIAC
P.S. If you have yet to add your name to our joint organization petition calling on Biden to restore the JCPOA, you can do so here!
[1] In Potential Breakthrough, US and Iran Agree to Resumption of Nuclear Talks - WSJ
[2] US must rejoin Iran deal 'as quickly as possible' - US lawmakers - JPost
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