Jeff Merkley: Strike on Iran Is ‘A Tragedy that Never Had to Be’ Had We Stayed in the JCPOA Agreement

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Will continue ░░░░░░░░ quote many days I ░░░░░░░░ to bring in democratic ░░░░░░░░ Jeff Merkley of Oregon ░░░░░░░░ sits on the foreign ░░░░░░░░ committee and is joining ░░░░░░░░ tonight Thank you senator ░░░░░░░░ being here Can I ░░░░░░░░ first get your reaction ░░░░░░░░ what we are seeing ░░░░░░░░ out in Iran tonight ░░░░░░░░ is what absolutely what ░░░░░░░░ ve been expecting for ░░░░░░░░ days All the signs ░░░░░░░░ there We were moving ░░░░░░░░ of our personnel from ░░░░░░░░ We were keeping forces ░░░░░░░░ in the area The ░░░░░░░░ was making kind of ░░░░░░░░ statements about the possibility ░░░░░░░░ this is what we ░░░░░░░░ expecting Caitlin what really ░░░░░░░░ me here is this ░░░░░░░░ a tragedy that never ░░░░░░░░ to be I just ░░░░░░░░ it s worth reminding ░░░░░░░░ that we would still ░░░░░░░░ under very severe restrictions ░░░░░░░░ Iran s nuclear program ░░░░░░░░ we stayed in the ░░░░░░░░ agreement They had to ░░░░░░░░ 97 of their nuclear ░░░░░░░░ outside the country They ░░░░░░░░ A cap on enrichment ░░░░░░░░ a little over 3 ░░░░░░░░ compared to 90 necessary ░░░░░░░░ nuclear weapon Massive monitoring ░░░░░░░░ every facility that they ░░░░░░░░ They had three paths ░░░░░░░░ a nuclear weapon and ░░░░░░░░ was a uranium path ░░░░░░░░ that s what I ░░░░░░░░ been describing The second ░░░░░░░░ a plutonium path and ░░░░░░░░ dismantled their plutonium reactor ░░░░░░░░ the third was a ░░░░░░░░ covert path And the ░░░░░░░░ path is why all ░░░░░░░░ monitoring would have occurred ░░░░░░░░ of these measures would ░░░░░░░░ have been in place ░░░░░░░░ another five years had ░░░░░░░░ not taken ourselves out ░░░░░░░░ the jcpoa and dismantled ░░░░░░░░ that framework.