Ed Royce Slams Obama’s ‘Naivete’ as Iran Deal Takes Effect

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) issued a statement on “Adoption Day” of the Iran deal this Sunday, claiming that the Obama Administration “is looking more naive by the day” in its faith that the Iranian regime will live up to its end of the bargain when considering their activity over the last three months–let alone 35 years.

Royce said President Barack Obama’s belief that the now-historic accords will “usher in a new era of partnership” is “a complete misread.”

“Adoption Day” signifies that 90 days have passed since the United Nations Security Council endorsed the now-historic deal which President Barack Obama signed on Sunday, making the international pact official. However, several lawmakers, including Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), have suggested that the accords are “not morally or legally binding.”

Under the agreement, Iran must begin freezing parts of its nuclear program in order to begin seeing sanctions relief–a process that could take months.

On Sunday, Obama remained resolute that Iran will remain peaceful in its nuclear program and expressed his positive outlook on the situation. He issued the following statement:

Today marks an important milestone toward preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensuring its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful going forward. I welcome this important step forward.

I welcome this important step forward, and we, together with our partners, must now focus on the critical work of fully implementing this comprehensive resolution that addresses our concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.

Meanwhile, Rep. Royce presented a list of troubling activities in which the Iranian regime has engaged over the last three months:

• Iran’s top terrorist, General Qasem Soleimani, busted sanctions to travel to Moscow and forge a new Iranian-Russian alliance in support of Assad that has intensified the mayhem and humanitarian suffering in war-torn Syria;
• Iran tested a precision-guided, long-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions, and unveiled a secret underground missile facility;
• Iran convicted an American journalist on bogus espionage charges, while other American captives languish in Iranian prisons. The Administration’s top negotiator of the dangerous nuclear deal said she wouldn’t rest until these Americans were freed. Earlier this month, she left office;
• Iran’s neighbors, as predicted, are reevaluating their traditional restraint on obtaining nuclear technology, which could lead to a regional atomic arms race; and
• In a key test of its commitment to the nuclear agreement, Iran has given minimum cooperation to international inspectors attempting to determine the extent of Iran’s past bomb work.

Royce stated that when looking at “Iran’s actions over the last three months–let alone 35 years–and [thinking] Tehran will live up to its end of the nuclear bargain” is a mistake.

“If this is what the last 90 days look like, the next few years look like a disaster.”

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