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February 5, 2020

NIAC Responds to Trump’s State of the Union Address

In response to President Trump’s State of the Union address last night, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) issued the following statement:

“The state of the U.S.’ Iran policy is a disaster. President Trump brought us to the brink of a full-blown regional war and has undone restrictions the previous administration secured on Iran’s nuclear program. Thankfully, as international monitoring is still in place despite Trump’s sabotage of the historic nuclear agreement, we know his claim that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon is false. However, if Iranian missiles had killed any U.S. soldiers when they attacked U.S. bases in Iraq on January 8, we would likely be in the midst of a bloody regional war today.

“Meanwhile, the Iranian people are still caught between their own repressive government and punishing U.S. sanctions, and moderates inside the country who prefer diplomacy to warfare have been sidelined by hardliners with the assistance from the Trump administration. While it may be welcome to hear Trump talk about negotiations and lifting sanctions, there are currently no diplomatic channels the president’s team has not managed to steamroll. Moreover, the rigid refusal to ease sanctions continues to block hopes for a diplomatic off ramp. These are the signs of a disastrous approach that must be abandoned, either by the current occupant of the White House or his successor. In the meantime, the Senate must pass legislation clarifying that Trump has no authority for an Iran war before it is too late.

“The President also failed to talk about his cruel Muslim Travel Ban that separates Iranian-American families, his border policies that have infringed on the rights of Iranian Americans who have been treated as second class citizens, or his unexplained deportation of Iranian students. These policies are eroding the foundations of America’s claims to greatness and undermine the fundamental interests of the United States and the American people.”

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