Iran Deal Only Delays Tehran Becoming Nuclear Threshold Power - McCarthy

On Tuesday, the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif announced the P5+1 group and Iran had completed a nuclear agreement named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy claimed Tuesday that the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group only delayed the ability of the Islamic Republic to produce nuclear weapons in the short term.

“Nothing in the deal announced today eliminates Iran’s ability to eventually become a nuclear threshold power,” McCarthy said. “It just delays the day and rewards the Iranians with billions of dollars in sanctions relief until that day comes.”

McCarthy said Congress needed to fully review the details of the agreement and see how damaging they may be with regard to US national security interests.

If they run contrary to US interests, he added, President Barack Obama and his administration must be held accountable for reaching the deal.

However, McCarthy expressed his view that as a result of the agreement, the United States and the P5+1 countries would be forced to confront a stronger Iran in its quest for regional dominance.

On Tuesday, Obama said, as a result of this agreement, Iran would dispose of 98 percent of their enriched uranium. Obama also said that such a development would stop proliferation of nuclear arms in the Middle East.