Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) argued Tuesday that diplomacy was still the best option to ensure Iran's nuclear enrichment program remained below weapons-grade levels, now that a ceasefire has been reached over the nation's nuclear capabilities.
Smith blamed President Donald Trump for tearing up the original diplomatic solution, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the Iran nuclear deal.
Inked during the Obama administration, the action plan gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for agreeing not to enrich uranium up to 60%, which is designated bomb-grade levels.
Trump scrapped the plan in 2018, claiming he would come up with his own agreement. At Tuesday's NATO summit in The Hague, however, Trump said he didn't "feel very strongly" anymore about signing an official agreement with Iran.
Smith called Trump's assertion "distressing."
"So, this is all part of Trump's sort of, you know, 'I'm tough. I solve problems just by looking at them.' But the reality is very different. Yes, diplomacy is the key. Iran is on their heels, no doubt about it," Smith said.
CNN's Boris Sanchez asked the lawmaker if Iran "violated the spirit" of the agreement by continuing to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels as Trump started his second term.
"You got your timeline mixed up there," Smith corrected. "Once Donald Trump tore up the agreement, yeah, Iran violated it. But before Donald Trump tore up the agreement, they had not done what you just said. Now, you can make an argument that just because Donald Trump tore it up, there were, I think, five other countries involved. Iran should have still paid attention to that agreement...but prior to Donald Trump walking out of the agreement, Iran was complying with it."
Smith continued that "the more important point, history aside, we are where we are — and where we are is, we still have Iran and Israel in a conflict, and we still have an Iran capable of building towards a nuclear weapon," which is why diplomacy still matters.
