House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) at the recent 2014 AIPAC conference in Washington, DC. Cantor and Hoyer initiated a letter to President Barack Obama on Iran that was signed by 395 members of the House of Representatives. Photo: AIPAC.

JNS.org – A new letter to President Barack Obama signed by 395 members of the U.S. House of Representatives stresses that a permanent nuclear deal with Iran “should include stringent transparency measures to guarantee that Iran cannot develop an undetectable nuclear weapons breakout capability.”

The Islamic Republic “must fully and verifiably implement its Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, ratify and implement the Additional Protocol, answer pending IAEA questions, and comply with the transparency measures requested by the Director General of the IAEA, as well as with any additional verification and monitoring measures necessary to ensure Iran is abiding by the terms of any agreement,” said the letter, which was initiated by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

“Such measures should include an agreement granting the IAEA necessary access to inspect all suspect sites, including military facilities, and providing an unfettered ability to interview Iranian scientists and personnel associated with Iran’s nuclear program,” the letter stated.

The legislators also expressed hope that a final nuclear deal would “require dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear weapons-related infrastructure, including enrichment-, heavy water-, and reprocessing-related facilities, such that Iran will not be able to develop, build, or acquire a nuclear weapon.” The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said regarding the letter that it “appreciates the strong message sent by the House showing America’s determination to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability.”