Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA) has announced that he will oppose the Iran deal, becoming one of the first in his party to do so.

The second-term Democrat, who represents Imperial County and parts of San Diego county, wrote an op-ed in the San Diego’s Union-Tribune in which he said that the deal falls short of what it would need to achieve to be effective.

The deal fails to dismantle the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, does not allow sufficient inspections, and leaves a path to “nuclear threshold status,” he stated.

“This deal will spark an arms race in the Middle East,” Vargas warned.

He also noted the context of the deal, signed  “[j]ust four days after large crowds in Tehran and across Iran chanted ‘Death to America,’ [and] as they burned our flag in government-led demonstrations.”

He also noted Iran’s role as “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” adding:

It is a fact that Hezbollah, the Iranian terrorist proxy responsible for more American deaths than anyone except al-Qaeda, has more than 100,000 missiles aimed at civilians in Israel.

And it is a fact that Iran has financed, trained and equipped Shiite death squads in Iraq and Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan and rewarded them for killing American troops.

Vargas continued, “Rather than demand Iran’s bad behavior be corrected, this agreement rewards it. In Iran, they’re calling the coming payday a “nuclear feast.” And we know what the main course at that feast will be–terrorism.”

The op-ed also rejected arguments that suggest relieving sanctions on Iran would make the regime more moderate. As with North Korea, that will not work, he wrote.

“If this deal is approved, it will lock us into bad results that far outweigh its benefits,” said Vargas.

He concluded:

I intend to stand up and vote against this deal. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of our national security, and the security of our allies and I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this deal and press for a better deal that will truly end Iran’s nuclear weapons program and make the world safer.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana