Nuclear Scientists Urge Congress to Protect Iran Deal
The scientists said Mr. Trump’s objections could be addressed without a renegotiation, which their letter called an "unrealistic objective." Their letter reflected the intense lobbying underway in Congress by supporters
and opponents of the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which lifted many sanctions on Iran in return for its verifiable promises of peaceful nuclear work.
While the scientists did not dispute Mr. Trump’s objections, they emphasized
that under the accord, severe restrictions on Iran’s supply of uranium remain in place through 2030, surveillance of Iran’s uranium-enriching centrifuges remains through 2035, and surveillance of uranium mines and mills through 2040.
30, 2017
More than 90 top American experts in atomic sciences, including a designer of the hydrogen bomb, publicly threw their weight behind
the Iran nuclear agreement on Monday, exhorting Congress to preserve the accord in the face of President Trump’s disavowal of it.
More than 20 former government officials and experts on Iran signed
that statement, including Elliott Abrams, Robert G. Joseph and Mary Beth Long, who held high-ranking positions on security and defense under President George W. Bush’s administration; and Olli Heinonen, a former deputy director general at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In a letter to Senate and House leaders of both parties
that emphasized the "momentous responsibilities" Congress bears regarding the agreement, the scientists asserted that the accord was effective in blocking Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon.