Iran

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Keep the Iran Deal in Place!
Medea Benjamin’s book on Iran
Past Actions on Iran
Resources & Media
Don't confirm Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State
Preserve the Iran Deal
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Issue Details

(CODEPINKers and allies at one of numerous actions in front of the White House, supporting the nuclear deal with Iran.)

In 2015 we successfully defended diplomacy. Now we need to do it again!

The the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a.k.a. the Iran Deal, has somewhat miraculously survived one year of the Trump presidency. But it’s definitely not time to celebrate yet.

In October of 2017, Trump decertified the deal, claiming that the legislation was not in the “interest of the US.” Instead of killing the deal directly, the White House passed the problem to Congress, giving them an ultimatum of unilaterally changing the terms or threatening to scrap it altogether.

On January 12, 2018, Trump once again extended Congress’s deadline for the deal, but said that this would be the last time he waived the sanctions unless “terrible flaws” in the internationally recognized accord are supposedly fixed. But these “flaws” are nothing more than a cover up to challenge a deal that has been accepted by the international community and has prevented war.

The UK, France, Germany, Russia, China, and Iran have continued to support the agreement. Trump’s threats of pulling out of the deal not only jeopardize peace with Iran, but will also isolate the US from its European allies.

To make matters worse, Trump announced additional sanctions against Iran in response to human rights abuses that have occured during recent protests. Rather than support the Iranian people, as the administrators claims the decision is meant to do, it places more economic limitations that harms the Iranian people.

Enough is enough. Trump’s threats and ultimatums have no place in diplomacy. It’s time to stop this administration from putting us on a warpath with Iran. We must call for peace and diplomacy!

Keep the Iran Deal in Place!

On Friday, Donald Trump struck a major blow to diplomacy by refusing to say the truth: that Iran has been complying with the nuclear deal. Now the administration wants Congress, in the next 60 days, to pass legislation that would kill the agreement. We can’t let that happen!

Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Bob Corker have introduced dangerous legislation that would amend the “sunset clause” and add “triggers” to automatically impose new sanctions within a year of Iran gaining nuclear capabilities. It is an attempt to re-negotiate an international agreement, and it would put us on a dangerous path towards war. Iran’s compliance with the deal has been certified in eight reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the past two years. The other six countries involved in the deal want it to be maintained. Trump’s refusal to certify the agreement has already isolated us from our allies. Destroying the deal, as Cotton-Corker bill would do, would free up Iran to rapidly reconstitute its nuclear program. It would also send a dangerous signal to North Korea not to engage in talks. Read Medea’s article in TruthDig, 10 Reasons the U.S. Should Stick with the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Tell your Senators to oppose the Cotton-Corker bill. Ask them to respect our international obligations by taking leadership to protect the Iran deal.

LETTER TO YOUR SENATOR:

Medea Benjamin’s book on Iran

Screen_Shot_2018-01-22_at_4.13.38_PM.png Check out Medea Benjamin’s latest book Inside Iran: The Real History of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Get your copy here!

In 1979, the Iranian Revolution brought a Shia theocracy to the 80 million inhabitants of the Middle East’s second largest country. In the decades since, bitter relations have persisted between the U.S. and Iran. Yet how is it that Iran has become the primary target of American antagonism, when Saudi Arabia, a regime that is even more repressive, remains one of America’s closest allies?

In the first general-audience book on the subject, Medea Benjamin elucidates the mystery behind this complex relationship, recounting Iran’s history from the pre-colonial period, through the CIA-engineered coup that overthrew the country’s democratic leadership in 1953, to its emergence as the one nation Democrats and Republicans alike regularly unite in denouncing. Benjamin draws upon her firsthand experiences with Iranian politicians, activists, and everyday citizens to provide a deeper understanding of the complexities of Iranian society and the nation’s role in the region.

Tackling the contradictions in Iran’s system of government, its religiosity, and its citizens’ way of life, Inside Iran makes short work of the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding U.S.-Iranian relations, and presents a realistic and hopeful case for the two nations’ future.

Interested in hosting Medea for a speaking event and book signing? Contact brienne@codepink.org.

Past Actions on Iran

2017

Visited the UK, France, German, Russian, Chinese, and Iranian embassies to deliver thank you notes for upholding the Iran deal!

2015

The 2015 Iran Deal was passed thanks to grassroots activism across the country. CODEPINK and others:

Walked the halls of Congress, lobbying and visiting with undecided representatives
Called out war criminal Dick Cheney at his major Iran speech
Helped organize a press conference with speakers that included Sarah Shourd, US journalist imprisoned in Iran for over 400 days
Held a sit-in (and dropped a 20-foot banner) to call out Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer for opposing the deal
Created a peaceful presence at the fear-mongering rally featuring Donald Trump and Ted Cruz
Did a Light Brigade vigil on the Capitol steps to “Seal the Deal”
Slideshow of actions in DC and around the US

2012

In March, 2012, after the 9th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, we hand-delivered our Women Say No War on Iran petition to First Lady Michelle Obama.

Resources & Media

Stay informed! Check out these great resources and media coverage of the Iran deal.

2018

NIAC Statement on Trump’s Iran Deal Ultimatum
NIAC Statement on Trump Plans to Renew Iran Sanctions Waivers
Decertifying The Iran Deal Would Probably Be Mostly Symbolic, by Michael Wilner
Iran nuclear deal: What you need to know, by Amanda Erickson

2015 Resources on the Iran Deal

Media Coverage of 2015 Iran Deal

Don't confirm Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State

Mike Pompeo should not be confirmed as Secretary of State. Pompeo is an advocate for military intervention in North Korea and the destruction of the Iran nuclear deal. The combination of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State and John Bolton as National Security Advisor is a recipe for disaster. A vote for Pompeo into a vote for war. Tell Senator Heidi Heitkamp not to break with the Democratic party and be the deciding vote that confirms war-hawk as the next US Secretary of State.

Preserve the Iran Deal

If the US pulls out of the Iran nuclear deal, as President Trump is threatening to do on May 12, we could be careening down the path of another catastrophic, senseless war in the Middle East. Your representatives in Congress must do everything they can to limit Trump‘s ability to destroy the nuclear agreement. Send them a message now:

Related Campaigns

Women Support the Iran Nuclear Deal

After an historic nuclear deal was reached with Iran and passed unanimously by the UN Security Council, US politicians, pundits, and special interest lobby groups are pushing Congress...
Sign now!
An apology to the people of Iran

Open Letter to the People of Iran from the American People Dear Friends, We, the undersigned, apologize for Donald Trump’s reckless, baseless, and dangerous decision to pull out...
Sign now!