In response to the new steps that Iran announced today with regard to suspending compliance with two components of the JCPOA nuclear agreement, J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami issued the following statement:

“Today’s announcement by Iran is the direct result of a deliberate, ongoing attempt by the Trump administration to undermine a successful nuclear non-proliferation agreement and provoke a new crisis in the Middle East. John Bolton was instrumental in pushing the US into a disastrous war of choice with Iraq — and now he’s using the same playbook to try to instigate a new confrontation with Iran.

Thanks to the policies of this administration, Iran’s nuclear activities are now under fewer constraints, the regime’s hardliners are more empowered and American credibility with many of our closest allies is shattered. Bolton and Secretary Pompeo have undercut effective diplomacy that blocked Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — and their actions are pushing us down the path to war in service of their long-desired goal of regime change.

Trump’s war cabinet is now leading us toward an armed conflict that Congress has not authorized, the American people do not want and the president himself claims to oppose. To prevent this disaster, we urge members of Congress to support legislation like that introduced by Senator Tom Udall and Representative Anna Eshoo which makes clear that the president cannot launch an unauthorized war against Iran.”