By Rep. Keith Rothfus
Per the admission of President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser and once-aspiring fiction writer, Ben Rhodes, the Obama administration deceived the American people as it sought to gain public and congressional support for its nuclear deal with Iran.
The administration concocted a narrative that the U.S. was negotiating with so-called “moderates” in Iran instead of hard-liners intent upon America and Israel’s destruction. These same hardliners failed to abide by nuclear nonproliferation commitments in the past and have given the United States no reason to trust them now. The administration also falsely suggested that the United States had two mutually exclusive options: peace – brought about by the deal – or imminent war.
While such misleading assertions would be harmless in a work of fiction, they have profound and dangerous implications in reality. In the four short months since the agreement was adopted, Iran has made clear that its intentions toward America and our allies remain the same, which can be summed up by the Iranian hardliner slogans “Death to America” and “Israel must be wiped out.”
Emboldened by the nuclear agreement, Iran has continued and even escalated its provocative behavior and violent rhetoric. Recently a senior Iranian military commander boasted that Iran is capable of rapidly destroying the entire nation of Israel, stating that Iran could “raze the Zionist regime in less than eight minutes.” Two weeks before, Iran’s armed forces had successfully tested a precision-guided medium-range ballistic missile that could reach Israel.
Over the past four months, Iran has also tested at least two intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States as well as missiles emblazoned with the slogan “Israel must be wiped out” in Hebrew. Iran’s dictator, Ali Khamenei, taunted the United States following these provocations, saying it was “crying” over Iran’s missile tests, adding that Iran would continue such tests and that the United States could not do a “damn thing” about it.
In January, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard detained U.S. sailors when they accidentally ventured into Iranian waters and broadcasted humiliating images of them on their knees. Embarrassingly, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his appreciation for the “quick and appropriate response of the Iranian authorities” when the sailors were released 15 hours later.
Moreover, Iran’s abhorrent human rights abuses continue apace today, just as they had before the Iran deal was put in place. Indeed, the agreement’s failure to hold Iran accountable on human rights is among the many concerns I had when the deal was being negotiated. The terms of the Iran deal served to strengthen the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, one of the main perpetrators of Iran’s human rights abuses.
Perhaps most threatening of all is that Iran simply has to wait for the agreement to expire to continue pursuing nuclear capabilities, as this deal does not require Iran to dismantle its nuclear program. In addition to the multibillion-dollar windfall Iran is now receiving, the agreement permits Iran to maintain a nuclear infrastructure that includes 5,000 centrifuges. It can also conduct research on advanced centrifuges capable of more rapidly enriching bomb-grade uranium and ballistic missiles capable of carrying a bomb to the United States.
It was clear during negotiations, as it is now, that this agreement is a win for Iran and a huge loss for America and our allies in the Middle East…
Despite Iran’s behavior, and the fact that it remains the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, the Obama administration still operates in the made-up world of Ben Rhodes and considers this deal a win for America and a historic act of diplomacy.
In Congress, however, Democrats and Republicans alike view this agreement very differently. We recognize its glaring inadequacies. That is why I will continue to work to hold Iran accountable on terrorism and human rights, and on its nuclear- and missile-capabilities issues, through oversight hearings and legislation. The time is overdue for the administration to face reality, too.

Keith Rothfus, a Republican from Sewickley, represents Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 21 June 2016