UANI Condemns Iran's Dangerous Nuclear Threats

(New York, NY) – United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace released the following statement after remarks by Kamal Kharrazi, advisor to the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, threatening to develop nuclear weapons:

“Iran’s regime is advancing its nuclear program while using its proxies against the U.S. and its allies to distract the world. Iran’s breakout time—the amount of time it would take for Tehran to manufacture enough fissile material to build a weapon—is currently at zero. Kamal Kharrazi’s comments are part of its steady march towards nuclear weapons.

“It is a reminder that U.S. policy is dangerously adrift. Sanctions enforcement has been lax; Iran’s regime is not diplomatically isolated; and the Biden administration has not been developing a credible military threat.

“Iranian officials used to hint at Tehran’s capability of producing nuclear weapons sporadically. But now there is a regular chorus of voices—from commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to Iranian diplomats—who are overtly threatening to develop nuclear weapons. That the Islamic Republic feels comfortable making these threats is an indictment of U.S. policy. 

“The Iranian regime’s supreme leader felt secure enough to defy President Biden’s warning of “don’t” from the most powerful nation on earth and attack Israel on April 13 without any meaningful consequence. That shows how badly eroded U.S. deterrence has become. In response, the United States should have joined Israel in destroying Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

“Moving forward, the U.S. should support a censure resolution at the upcoming board of governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in June, which refers the matter of Iran’s continued stonewalling of the IAEA’s Safeguards probe to the U.N. Security Council for further action. The Biden administration must also aggressively enforce sanctions against the Islamic Republic to sharpen its choices and support snapback of U.N. sanctions against Tehran to collapse the failed framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) once and for all. Lastly, President Biden should publicly reaffirm that the military option remains on the table and lay out U.S. redlines. Congress should also consider passing an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against the Iranian regime’s nuclear program to make it clear to Tehran that the United States has not only the capability of destroying its atomic infrastructure but also the will to do so.”

To learn more about Iran’s nuclear program, click here for UANI’s overview.