UANI National Advocacy Campaign to Highlight Critical Issues Remaining in Iran Nuclear Negotiations

June 23, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2015
Phone: (212) 554-3296
UANI National Advocacy Campaign to Highlight Critical Issues Remaining in Iran Nuclear Negotiations

Campaign Urges No More Concessions to Iran on Nuclear Inspections, Accountability and Transparency

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) today announced the launch of a multi-million dollar television, print, radio, digital and grassroots campaign to educate and engage the American people and legislators in a discussion of the critical issues remaining in negotiations with Iran over the future of its nuclear program.

The multi-tiered campaign will include national cable television beginning on June 23 and full page newspaper ads in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.  The campaign will continue through the time Congress casts votes on any final agreement on Iran's nuclear program reached by the P5+1 countries and Iran.

"This is a generationally important foreign policy issue and we need to give full and appropriate analysis to each and every important element of an agreement with Iran," said UANI CEO Mark Wallace, a former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. who will lead the campaign.  

"As negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 enter the final stretch before a June 30 deadline to reach a final agreement, there is a growing concern that U.S. negotiators could be pressured into making dangerous concessions in order to cement a deal," Wallace said. "Democrats and Republicans, U.S. allies in the Arab world, and Israel already feel that past concessions made to Iran go too far.  They are increasingly worried that recent public statements from top Iranian officials - including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei - suggest the only way to conclude a deal with Iran is at the expense of our national security interests and those of our allies."

Wallace said it is important that the American people are fully appraised of the extent to which negotiators have already conceded to Iran's position on key issues heading into what could be the final few weeks of talks aimed at reaching a deal, followed by critical up or down votes in Congress. For example, under the agreement to date:  
  • Iran's nuclear infrastructure will remain intact;
  • Iran retains its underground and "hardened" Fordow nuclear facility;
  • Iran can engage in further research and development on advanced centrifuges that can enrich uranium much faster; and
  • Restrictions on Iran's nuclear program will end during the next 10-15 years.

No further concessions can be made on critical remaining issues, Wallace said, without doing serious damage to U.S. national security interests. Those issues include:  

  • Full access to Iranian facilities for nuclear inspectors. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must be able to interview scientists and officials, and visit military facilities as part of its investigation of Iran's previous work on nuclear weapons development.  
    • IAEA inspectors must also be able to do "challenge inspections" of any suspected nuclear facilities - including military facilities - within a timely manner.
  • The phased termination of existing international economic sanctions to match Iran's compliance with its obligations, rather than the lifting of sanctions upon the signing of a deal.  
  • The immediate re-imposition of economic sanctions should Iran be found in violation of the agreement.

"It is essential for an acceptable deal to get a satisfactory resolution of these remaining issues, even if it means negotiating past the June 30 deadline," said UANI President Gary Samore, who will serve as a technical advisor to the campaign.

The campaign will provide the American people a full and fair opportunity to learn about each and every issue surrounding negotiations with Iran and draw their own conclusions.  All of the television and newspaper ads, along with background information associated with each critical issue, will be posted to the UANI website, along with additional resources related to Iran's ballistic missile development program and human rights record.   

 


UANI is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy group aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. An outspoken and tireless advocate for implementation of a robust sanctions regime against Iran, UANI has been at the vanguard of efforts to ensure that any U.S. agreement with Iran is solidly in the national security interests of the United States and precludes Tehran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons. 

 

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