The U.S. should stay in the Iran deal, but ramp up enforcement of it, according to Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif.
"As flawed as the deal is, I believe we must now enforce the hell out of it," Royce said at a committee hearing on Iran, according to The Hill.
Every 90 days, the president must recertify the deal, which provides relief from nuclear sanctions as long as Iran is in compliance with a number of requirements. President Donald Trump has recertified the deal twice, but The Hill reported that he will likely withhold the recertifying of the deal at the next deadline, which arrives Sunday.
Royce said that if Trump withholds the certification, then he must explain why.
"Whatever he decides, it is critical that the president lay out the facts. He should explain what his decision means and what it doesn't. And then I hope — as I have tried to do here today — the president will define a responsible path forward to confront the full range of threats posed by Iran," Royce said at the hearing, according to The Hill.
The congressman said that the U.S. should work with allies to ensure that international inspectors have better access to Iran's possible nuclear sites. He added that Iran's other activities should also be confronted, such as its support for Hezbollah.
The U.S. also should support the people of Iran, Royce said.
"We have no ill will toward the Iranian people. It's their government that gravely threatens us and our allies," he added.
The senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., echoed Royce in an opinion piece in USA Today.
"Our ongoing commitment to the deal could help prevent further destabilization in the Middle East," Engel wrote.
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