Washington (January 8, 2020)—Senator Markey released the following statement after President Donald Trump addressed the nation today. President Trump’s remarks came after Iranian military forces launched ballistic missiles at Al Asad and Erbil airbases in Iraq Tuesday night.

“The best tool we had to ensure Iran never obtained a nuclear weapon was the Iran Deal, which Donald Trump withdrew from despite the fact that it was working. Iran has long been a malign regional actor and destabilizing force in the region. But the escalation in its provocative actions can be traced to Trump’s capricious, unilateral decision to pull out of the deal and crush Iran with sanctions.

“The Administration must immediately commit to de-escalation and no unauthorized military action against Iran. Congress needs to repeal the 2001 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force. We must not allow President Trump to attack Iran’s cultural sites and commit a war crime. The United States must talk with President Hassan Rouhani or other senior Iranian leaders on diplomatic steps to defuse tensions and prevent any movement toward a nuclear-weapons program. We cannot allow Trump to lead us into a war with Iran.”

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