U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler is right on target in calling for separate responses to Iran’s actions (“We Need To Thwart Iran On Two Fronts,” Opinion, Jan. 1). As long as Iran complies with its obligations under the nuclear deal — which it seems to be doing — the U.S. and its partners should do the same.
But missile tests by Iran certainly violate UN Security Council resolutions, though they do not, unfortunately, violate the terms of the nuclear deal. Those violations should be met with a strong response. I was pleased to read that the Treasury Department was planning to announce sanctions on companies and individuals who have participated in Iran’s missile activities. I was disappointed, to say the least, to read that the announcement has been delayed. Hopefully the delay will be short-lived.
The nuclear deal with Iran is done, for better or worse. We need now to ensure that Iran complies with its obligations under that deal and take appropriate action if it does not. At the same time, we need to respond strongly to Iran’s missile testing, support for terrorism and human rights violations as separate issues. We should not make the mistake of using those actions, which are bad but do not violate the nuclear deal, as an excuse to undermine that deal.
Manhattan
The writer is a past chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Anti-Defamation League. The views expressed are his own.
