The New York Times: Diplomats Agree That Iran Deal “Is As Good A Deal As You Could Get”

Diplomats from the UK, China, France, Germany and Russia told Congress that the Iran nuclear deal is the best deal possible, according to a report from The New York Times.

Since the Iran Nuclear agreement was announced in July, many nonproliferation and national security experts have praised the deal for being “about as good as any real world agreement could be” and “pretty damn good.” Nuclear and military experts have also called the deal “the most effective means currently available to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”

Adding to the list of those voicing support for the deal, The New York Times reported that diplomats around the world have strongly argued for the agreement and told members of Congress it was “as good a deal as you could get.” The diplomats stressed that if Congress rejected the deal, they would not join in efforts to re-impose sanctions, something conservative media have overlooked in their push against it. The Times report also highlighted support from experts who told Congress the deal “would do more to slow Iran's production of a nuclear weapon than a military attack”:

Just before the Senate left town for its August break, a dozen or so undecided Democrats met in the Capitol with senior diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia who delivered a blunt, joint message: Their nuclear agreement with Iran was the best they could expect. The five world powers had no intention of returning to the negotiating table.

“They basically said unanimously this is as good a deal as you could get and we are moving ahead with it,” recalled Senator Chris Coons, the Delaware Democrat who lent crucial support to the deal this week despite some reservations. “They were clear and strong that we will not join you in re-imposing sanctions.”

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Many Democrats said they were persuaded on the merits, including a point stressed by Mr. Moniz, the energy secretary, that the International Atomic Energy Agency would have technology that could catch even the most minute trace amounts of radioactive material, and help expose any cheating on the deal by Iran.

They also heard from experts who said that a 15-year limit on fissile material, the makings of a nuclear weapon, would do more to slow Iran's production of a nuclear weapon than a military attack, which intelligence experts said would only delay a weapons program by three years.

Nonetheless, conservative media have trashed the deal, claiming it “planted the seeds of World War III” and likening it to a "deal with the devil" while continually making false claims to try and kill it.