RFK Jr. Calls 2015 Iran Deal “Not Appropriate to Our Time”

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tweeted on Thursday that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is “not appropriate to our time.”

The tweet was the second in a two-part thread that began with Kennedy commemorating the yahrzeit for Elie Wiesel and echoed Wiesel’s commitment to “Never again!” “To ensure the security of Israel and, indeed, the Iranian people, Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons,” Kennedy said. “This is non-negotiable. It will require constant vigilance and stringent verification.” He then said that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the official name of the Iran deal, as being “based on outdated assumptions and conditions, and is not appropriate to our time.” 

“But I will set my sights on real peace in the Mideast, including between Israel and Iran,” Kennedy continued. “When I am President, we will set a new standard for international behavior. The US bears historical culpability for much of the tension in the region, which is partly the result of our regrettable history of regime change operations, coups, and support for despotic regimes in Iran and elsewhere.”

To ensure the security of Israel and, indeed, the Iranian people, Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. This is non-negotiable. It will require constant vigilance and stringent verification.

The JCPOA is based on outdated assumptions and conditions, and is not…

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 16, 2023

The Biden administration has been working to revive the Iran deal after the Trump administration exited out of it in 2018. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the United States are getting closer toward a “political ceasefire” that would include pledges from Iran not to enrich uranium beyond 60% capacity and release three American-Iranian prisoners in exchange for the U.S. not worsening economic sanctions and freeing up billions of dollars in Iranian assets that are currently frozen.

The Journal’s Brian Fishbach reported on a recent Kennedy fundraiser where the candidate expressed confidence that he could defeat President Joe Biden in the primary, pointing to a Rasmussen poll showing a statistical tie between himself and the president. “I think many Democrats will see that the President [Biden] has a very high chance of not beating Trump and that I have a much, much better chance of beating Trump,” Kennedy said. “If you were Trump, who would you rather debate? Me or President Biden?”