Intelligence Director Warns Against New Iran Sanctions, Supports Diplomacy

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified before Congress on the benefits of the interim nuclear agreement with Iran and warned against new sanctions.

Washington,
DC – “Right now, the imposition of more sanctions would be
counterproductive” to protecting the national security of the United
States, according to Director
of National Intelligence James R. Clapper. Testifying before the House
and Senate intelligence committees, Clapper said that the interim
nuclear agreement with Iran has diminished the nuclear threat and he
cautioned against Congressional action that could derail efforts towards
a comprehensive deal.

Speaking
at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last week, Clapper said that
the interim deal had reduced Iran’s nuclear breakout capability,
significantly prolonging and complicating any ability to produce a
nuclear weapon. He stated that the intelligence community’s primary
concern had been Iran’s enrichment of uranium to the 20% level, which
Iran agreed to eliminate as part of the interim deal. Clapper confirmed
that Iran has so far fully complied with the Joint Plan of Action and
that he is satisfied with America’s diplomatic efforts that had
significantly reduced the threat of a potential Iranian nuclear breakout
capacity.

Senator
King (I-ME), an outspoken critic of the newly proposed sanctions bill
(s.1881), asked if the intelligence community believed that new
sanctions would “undermine” American diplomatic engagement with Iran.
Clapper responded by saying yes, that passage would jeopardize a
comprehensive agreement and would put compliance with the current
agreement at risk. According to Clapper, there is no need for new
sanctions, even if they included a delay mechanism. Prior
to the hearings, the intelligence community directors delivered an
unclassified assessment to Congress that “new sanctions would undermine
the prospects for a successful comprehensive nuclear agreement with
Iran.”