Board and JLC urge caution about Iran deal

The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council call for caution and vigilance in response to today’s nuclear agreement with Iran.

While we hope that the deal which has been reached between Iran and world powers will limit its ability to develop nuclear weapons, we would urge extreme vigilance on those who are policing the agreement.

This is essential so that Iran, which remains a sponsor of terror worldwide, has no opportunity to develop weapons of mass destruction. We would also caution against the complete abandonment of sanctions which have had the effect of bringing Iran to the negotiating table and keeping them there.

Iran maintains its support for proxies, including Hezbollah, which destabilise the entire region. Iran is also known to have been involved in the murder of Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria in 2012, the bombing of the AMIA Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in 1994.

The Iranian regime also continues to persecute Baha’is, Christians and the LGBT community. The Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni has recently been outlining his blueprint for the destruction of Israel on social media. He also stated that regardless of the deal his country would continue its struggle against the US.

Alongside the agreement, vigilance and preparedness for action is necessary to sufficient to stop Iran producing nuclear weapons. Failure to do so would have grave consequences both for regional stability and for world peace.