Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said on Sunday that the United States’ relationship with key allies could be undermined should President Trump opt to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement.
Trump has suggested he might withdraw from the agreement prior to a May 12 deadline when he must decide whether to continue to lift economic sanctions on Iran, a key measure of the 2015 agreement.
Moniz, who served under former President Barack Obama, said opting out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action would both relieve pressure on Iran in the face of new allegations posed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and negatively impact the country’s relationship with key partners.
“This would be an enormous wedge between us and our European allies in particular, who have been forthcoming in saying they are willing to work with us on these other issues, but it must be in the context of the Iran agreement as a foundation for doing the rest of that,” Moniz said on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.”
Netanyahu presented information earlier last week that he said revealed new information about Iran’s nuclear program, though experts have questioned whether the speech actually presented any new details. Moniz said the presentation reinforced the need for the Iran nuclear agreement.
“While the presentation did not break new ground in terms of our knowing of there being a weapons program given all the information, I would guess upon analysis it will reveal some new people, places, equipment, all of those things need to be run to the ground,” he said. “Iran has put itself by having this exposed in a pretty tough spot. It is the process generated in the agreement that will allow those things to be run to the ground and frankly Iran going to have a lot of explaining to do in terms of specifics.”
