Iran deal is one worth signing

The nuclear deal with Iran is worth celebrating. This comprehensive joint plan of action represents a major step toward the goal of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and, if rigorously implemented, will make America and the world safer. We now have a long-awaited and well-negotiated deal that prevents Iran from using its known nuclear facilities to build a nuclear weapon and will allow us to detect any secret attempts to build one.

{mosads}Critics will say it is not verifiable. Nonsense. The monitoring and inspection regime is the most intrusive ever negotiated in a nonproliferation agreement. If Iran tries to violate the agreement, it will be caught and the United States and the international community will take appropriate action in response. The agreement is scientific and rigorous, based on verification and accountability and not on trusting Iran to comply.

Others say it is a short-term attempt by the Obama administration to create a legacy. That is also ridiculous. With provisions lasting up to 25 years, the agreement will freeze any efforts by Iran to build a nuclear weapon and will quadruple Iran’s breakout time to a year. That is a global legacy, not a political one.

Some in Congress may argue that this agreement is inadequate and we should go back and negotiate a better one. That is wrong-headed and not possible. To think that U.S. would walk away from this deal and expect that later on, Iran would say, “Oh, let’s renegotiate!” is really just a poor excuse to avoid having a deal at all. Without a deal, we are back to square one: watching Iran move closer to building a nuclear weapon.

Today’s agreement represents a significant achievement in the history of global nonproliferation efforts. The deal shows that proactive American leadership and tough negotiations can deliver solutions that enhance our national security. Implementation will require continued work and strong diplomacy, but there is no doubt that the world is safer with the agreement than without it. By addressing the most pressing nuclear nonproliferation issue in the Middle East, the United States has made this country and the world more secure. And that is the point of leadership.

Sonenshine is former under secretary of State for public diplomacy and public affairs and a frequent contributor to The Hill.com.