Pelosi Blames Trump for Iran War, Hails Obama Nuclear Deal as ‘Masterful, Virtuoso Diplomatic Accomplishment’

Pelosi: Obama's Iran Deal 'Masterful, Virtuoso Diplomatic Accomplishment'

Wednesday on CNN's "The Lead," Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said President Barack Obama's Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

Pelosi Blames Trump for Iran War, Hails Obama Nuclear Deal as ‘Masterful, Virtuoso Diplomatic Accomplishment’

Rep. Nancy Pelosi sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of the war with Iran on Wednesday, arguing that the conflict could have been avoided had the United States remained in the nuclear agreement negotiated under President Barack Obama and accusing Trump of failing to fulfill his promise to quickly bring the fighting to an end. Appearing on CNN’s “The Lead,” the California Democrat praised the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, in unusually glowing terms, calling the Obama-era agreement a “masterful, virtuoso diplomatic accomplishment.” Pelosi began by stressing that despite her disagreement with Trump over how the United States reached the current situation, she supports the country and American forces during the ongoing conflict. “Our country is at war. We always root for our country under any circumstance. So let’s get this done. Mr. President, you said it would take a few weeks, clearly you did not know what you were talking about.” The war with Iran has now continued for months, despite Trump’s earlier predictions that the fighting would be relatively brief. Trump said Wednesday that he now believes the conflict will end immediately after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, contending that Iran is attempting to hold out until then in hopes of influencing American politics. Pelosi argued that the roots of the current confrontation stretch back years, specifically to Trump’s decision during his first term to withdraw the United States from the JCPOA. “The fact that is so sad about this war, it could have been so totally avoided. President Obama was a masterful, virtuoso diplomatic accomplishment when he did the Iran nuclear agreement. They had it stopped. We accomplished all of our goals, then this one comes in and tears that up and now says he’s going to stop the development of nuclear weapons in Iran, which he hasn’t.” The JCPOA was reached in July 2015 between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union. Under the agreement, Iran accepted restrictions on its nuclear activities and enhanced international monitoring in return for relief from nuclear-related economic sanctions. The International Atomic Energy Agency was charged with verifying Iran’s nuclear-related commitments. President Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement on May 8, 2018, and ordered the reimposition of U.S. sanctions that had been lifted or waived under the deal. At the time, Trump argued that the JCPOA failed to permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and did not adequately address Tehran’s ballistic missile program and regional activities. The Obama administration and supporters of the agreement had maintained that its restrictions and inspections provided the best available mechanism for preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump and other critics countered that some of the deal’s nuclear restrictions eventually expired and that the agreement left other Iranian activities outside its scope. That long-running debate has acquired new significance amid the current U.S.-Iran war and renewed international concern about Tehran’s nuclear activities. On Wednesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors referred Iran to the United Nations Security Council over its failure to cooperate with an investigation into uranium traces found at undeclared sites. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful. Pelosi also focused on the consequences of the current fighting for American servicemembers, rejecting any effort to minimize the seriousness of the conflict. “So it’s really sad, but our troops are in harm’s way. And this is not a small potatoes thing as that person you had on the screen might refer to it. Small potatoes is not how we describe our men and women in uniform risking their lives. So this Iran war is taking a toll on the nation.” The conflict has also had significant economic repercussions. Oil prices have climbed above $100 per barrel amid escalating attacks and disruptions involving Iran and shipping in the region, adding to political pressure over energy costs as the United States approaches the midterm elections. Trump, meanwhile, has continued to defend the military campaign and insist that Iran will not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon. At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, he argued that the United States was prevailing in the confrontation and defended his administration’s strategy. {Matzav.com}