Physicians for Social Responsibility: The U.S. Assassination of Major General Qassem Suleimani Underscores the Urgent Need to Reenter the Iran Deal January 3, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact:
Martin Fleck, Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program Director, (202) 587-5242

Washington, D.C.—On January 2, President Trump ordered the killing of a top Iranian military commander, Major General Qassem Suleimani. This move comes in the wake of several other recent incidents that have risked sparking potential war and increased the risk of nuclear conflict.

Jeff Carter, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility, issued the following comment:

“The United States can and must pursue critical diplomatic measures to prevent war with Iran. 

Physicians for Social Responsibility urges the Trump administration to consult with Congress before engaging in any further offensive attack anywhere in and around the Persian Gulf, and to re-enter the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). An armed conflict between the United States and Iran would likely be a humanitarian catastrophe. 

What’s more, the assassination of Suleimani has brought the world closer to a nuclear conflict, for two reasons:

First, this escalation of hostilities could be interpreted as a declaration of war. War is full of uncertainty, and could draw in others besides the U.S. and Iran, including nuclear-armed countries such as Israel and Russia. 

Second, in 2018, the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, an agreement that was working as planned to effectively and verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The assassination of Suleimani will likely bolster the arguments of those in Iran who advocate for Iran to work harder and faster to obtain them.”

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