Santorum Reacts to Flawed Iranian Nuclear Deal

Verona, PA - Former U.S. Senator, former Republican presidential candidate and Patriot Voices Chairman Rick Santorum issued the following statement regarding the weekend announcement about Iran's nuclear program:

"This deal does nothing to dismantle Iran's nuclear program. It provides vital resources for a ruthless regime to continue to oppress its people, threaten its neighbors, support terrorism, stabilize its economy, and violate numerous U.N. resolutions pertaining to its nuclear program. The agreement does no more than pay billions for Iran to hit the pause button on some of its activities that do little to slow down their march toward a nuclear weapon," said Santorum who sat on the Senate Armed Services Committee for eight years and who was the author of both the Syria Accountability Act and the Iran Freedom and Support Act.

"Up to this point, the Iranian government has failed to comply with every U.N. resolution and every agreement having to do with the development of their nuclear program. Their government lies about everything from internal security to treatment of minorities, like Christians. And they have not altered their rhetoric concerning their desire to eliminate the state of Israel or, for that matter, destroy the West. They continue to support the Assad regime in Syria as they massacre their people, as well as, support radicals that continue to destabilize Iraq. Furthermore, Iran has one of largest reserves of fossil fuels that if properly developed could supply their domestic energy needs and be a source of export for decades so they do not need nuclear power.

"As for the deal struck this past weekend, while Iran made some concessions in exchange for access to frozen assets, no uranium is being removed, construction of the Arak heavy water reactor can continue in violation of a U.N. resolution and nothing bars Iran from continuing to enrich uranium contrary to several U.N. resolutions. And our ally Israel, who is most directly affected by President Obama's new deal, has openly and vigorously opposed it.

"This agreement comes a week after a speech broadcast live from Tehran by Iranian Supreme leader Khamenei, saying that 'Zionist officials cannot be called humans, they are like animals,' that 'the Israeli regime is doomed to failure and annihilation,' that the 'Zionist regime' is the 'rabid dog of the region.'

"What's more, nothing in the agreement stops Iran's development of a long range missile to deliver a nuclear weapon, and nothing stops Iran from developing the process of weaponizing their nuclear material. We should also be troubled by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani saying that this deal 'recognized Iran's nuclear rights' and that Iran has no plans to alter their enrichment program.

"What happened this weekend is an act of a desperate president who is willing to abandon our allies in the Middle East just so he can change the political narrative of continuing failure here at home. The failure continues," Santorum concluded.