Staff Reports
This week marks the anniversary of President Trump’s bold and necessary decision to withdraw the United States from the deeply flawed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal. Conservatives have long recognized that the JCPOA, crafted under the Obama administration, was a dangerous exercise in appeasement that failed to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions and instead handed the regime a pathway to a bomb and billions in sanctions relief. Senator Tom Cotton and other Republican leaders have rightly pointed out that the deal allowed Iran to keep its centrifuges, continue enriching uranium, and left its missile program untouched while unleashing funds that fueled terror proxies across the Middle East.
The facts since Trump’s withdrawal speak for themselves. Iran has accelerated uranium enrichment, now stockpiling material dangerously close to weapons-grade, and has repeatedly stonewalled international inspectors. The Biden administration’s return to diplomatic overtures has only emboldened Tehran, with Iran enriching uranium to 60%-a hair’s breadth from weapons-grade-and openly threatening U.S. allies like Israel. The JCPOA’s so-called “sunset clauses” would have soon allowed Iran to expand its nuclear program with international legitimacy, making a mockery of nonproliferation efforts and endangering regional stability.
Critics of Trump’s decisive action ignore the reality that a nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a catastrophic arms race in the Middle East. Nations like Saudi Arabia have already warned they will pursue their nuclear capabilities if Iran crosses the threshold, raising the specter of nuclear weapons proliferation among unstable regimes. Worse, Iran’s growing military ties with Russia and China, and its support for terror groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, mean that a nuclear Iran would be an existential threat not just to Israel, but to U.S. interests and the entire civilized world.
Trump’s approach-maximum pressure, crippling sanctions, and a credible threat of military force-was the only strategy that put real constraints on Iran’s malign activities. History shows that when America projects strength, Iran backs down. The Obama-Biden era of capitulation and unenforceable agreements only encouraged Iran’s aggression. The Trump doctrine of peace through strength is the proven path to deterring rogue regimes and safeguarding American and allied security.
As we reflect on this anniversary, it’s clear that the JCPOA was a historic mistake, and President Trump’s withdrawal was a necessary course correction. The lesson is simple: the United States must never reward terror states with concessions or cash. Only by standing firm and refusing to tolerate nuclear blackmail can we prevent Iran from becoming the world’s next and most dangerous nuclear power.
