Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2019
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer, Director

Iran Ups The Ante

The Islamic Republic of Iran just took a major step toward non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. Yesterday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran would begin injecting uranium gas into more than 1,000 centrifuges at the regime's Fordow nuclear facility, a fortified site built underneath a mountain that Tehran tried to hide for years.

Under the 2015 deal, nuclear material was banned from Fordow, but the Iranians were permitted to retain the site as a "research facility." Rouhani's announcement means that Fordow is now an active nuclear site.

It's worth remembering that the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama Administration was never submitted to the Senate as a treaty. As a result, the Trump Administration was under no obligation to follow it.

President Trump withdrew the United States from the deal citing its many flaws and Iran's continued nefarious behavior. But Iran agreed to remain in the deal in exchange for financial incentives from Europe. Now, the ayatollah is upping the ante yet again.

World leaders were quick to react to the Iranian declaration. Reuters reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Rouhani's announcement "extremely alarming" and urged Iran "to fulfill the terms of the deal."

French President Emmanuel Macron said the decision was "grave," adding, "I think that for the first time, Iran has decided in an explicit and blunt manner to leave the JCPOA (nuclear) agreement, which marks a profound shift."

British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab declared, "Iran's latest actions clearly contravene the deal and pose a risk to our national security." Raab called on Iran to "urgently return to full compliance."

State Department Press Secretary Morgan Ortagus denounced the move as blackmail, saying:

"Iran has no credible reason to expand its uranium enrichment program, at the Fordow facility or elsewhere, other than a clear attempt at nuclear extortion that will only deepen its political and economic isolation."

Needless to say, Israeli officials were also deeply disturbed by the announcement, which is understandable as Iran's supreme leader and top generals have repeatedly threatened to wipe Israel off the map.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again vowed to fight Iran's aggression and its attempts to acquire nuclear weapons, saying:

"Iran expands its aggression. It seeks to envelop Israel. It seeks to threaten Israel. It seeks to destroy Israel. We fight back.

"And I also want to say, given Iran's efforts to expand its nuclear weapons program, expand its enrichment of uranium for making atomic bombs, I repeat here once again: We will never let Iran develop nuclear weapons. This is not only for our security and our future; it’s for the future of the Middle East and the world."