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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, DC – National Iranian American Council President Trita Parsi issued the following statement regarding the announced agreement by Iran and the P5+1 to begin implementation of the Joint Plan of Action: “The decision to start implementation of the November nuclear accord shows that diplomacy is gaining further momentum. Confrontation has been replaced with collaboration. If this process continues uninterrupted, the nuclear issue can be fully resolved, which significantly adds to US national security, strengthens the non-proliferation regime and helps Iran move in the direction of moderation and pragmatism. This will have considerable positive repercussions for the region and beyond. “The critical thing, however, is to ensure that the diplomatic process is further protected from efforts that would undermine it and throw away the very valuable gains that have been made in the past months. New sanctions imposed by the US Senate would cause diplomacy to collapse and put the US and Iran back on a path towards confrontation. Now, more than ever before as the gains of diplomacy are becoming clear to all, it is important that the Senate does not undermine this promising process. For all practical purposes, a vote for sanctions right now is a vote for war. “President Barack Obama should be commended for having shifted the US’s policy away from sanctions and towards diplomacy. To reach a final deal, however, even greater leadership is needed. The most valuable concessions from the Iranian side will only come when the US puts on the table the most valuable concession it can offer: The lifting of broad nuclear related sanctions. “The sooner the conversation about lifting sanctions can begin in the US – rather than just delaying new sanctions – the sooner the US can push the process towards a final, comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran.” ### |
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