19 of 20 Democratic presidential hopefuls say they’d rejoin Iran nuclear deal

“If I have an opportunity to leverage a better deal, I’m going to do it,” said Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).

By World Israel News Staff

At the first debate of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign, some of the Democratic hopefuls on stage at the event Wednesday night in Miami voiced the need to change the 2015 Iran nuclear deal reached between Tehran and six world powers, led by the U.S. Obama administration.

President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in May 2018.

At the debate, when NBC’s Lester Holt asked the candidates to raise their hands if, as president, they would rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal as originally negotiated, all the candidates did except for Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).

“We need to get into a deal, but I’m not going to have a platform to say I’m going to rejoin the deal,” Booker explained, adding that “if I have an opportunity to leverage a better deal, I’m going to do it.”

However, even among some of those who did raise their hand in favor of rejoining the nuclear accord, objections to the deal were raised.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called the agreement “imperfect” and “a good deal for that moment.” Referring to the limited time scope of various key restrictions on Iranian uranium enrichment, 10-15 years, for example, she said that she would have “worked to get longer sunset periods, and that’s something we can negotiate to get back in the deal.”

In addition, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) said that “we need to get back into the Iran nuclear agreement” but added that “we need to negotiate how we can improve it.”

Israeli leaders have voiced their objections over the sunset clause as well as restricted inspections on Iranian facilities, no ban on ballistic missile development, and no action against destabilizing Iranian military activity, such as support of Hamas and Hezbollah and entrenchment in Syria along Israel’s borders.

Iran nuclear deal