The Iranian nuclear program’s water reactor at Arak. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement on Tuesday regarding the Obama Administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran:

The comprehensive nuclear agreement announced today appears to further the flawed elements of April’s interim agreement because the Obama Administration approached these talks from a flawed perspective: reaching the best deal acceptable to Iran, rather than actually advancing our national goal of ending Iran’s nuclear program.

In addition to its ongoing nuclear program, Iran’s continued support of terrorism and its determination to expand both ballistic missile and conventional military capabilities undermine America’s standing, security and presence in the region. These threats are of grave concern to me, and will pose significant challenges to our country and President Obama’s successor.  Moreover, these threats aren’t going away—Iran will now just have more funding available to pursue them.

The Senate must now weigh why a nuclear agreement should result in reduced pressure on the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. We’ll hold hearings and examine the agreement, including several aspects that are particularly integral to understanding what concessions the Iranians were able to secure from the Obama Administration. For example: will the agreement allow for anytime-anywhere inspections of Iranian military installations and research and development facilities; will the Iranians be compelled to disclose possible military dimensions of the nuclear program; what level of research and development will be permitted of advanced centrifuges; and will sanctions relief be tied to strict, verifiable adherence to the terms of the agreement and cooperation by the Iranians?  The Senate will review these parameters more thoroughly, and approve or disapprove of the deal in accordance with the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015. The test of the agreement should be whether it leaves our country and our allies safer.