WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE JCPOA

Regional Editorials on the Iran DealAlabamaGood Faith Needed On Iran Deal“Of course, Iran is hardly an innocent. Its leaders are theocratic extremists who do notrespect democracy or human rights. It is a leading national sponsor of terrorism. Wereits ambitions to produce a nuclear weapon to be successful, the balance of power in theMiddle East and across the globe would change for the worst. Given this, Tuesday’sannouncement that a U.S.-led effort to strike a deal limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitionsis welcome news if — and it’s a big if — all parties can stick to the terms of the accord.Count as a positive anything that puts off full-scale war and offers at least a chance of amore peaceful world. The United States and its five national partners — Russia, Britain,France, China and Germany — receive assurances that a nuclear Iran is at the very leastleft to some date in the future. In return, Iran has the crippling financial sanctions thathave caused suffering in Tehran lifted.”– The Anniston Star, 7/14/15ArizonaIran Deal A Gamble, But No Deal Would Be Worse“Obama is convinced the world is better off by transforming Iran from the world’s leaderin state-sponsored terrorism into a responsible regional leader. Said Obama: ‘A differentpath, one of tolerance and peaceful resolution of conflict, leads to more integrationinto the global economy, more engagement with the international community, and theability of the Iranian people to prosper and thrive. ‘This deal offers an opportunityto move in a new direction. We should seize it.’ That transformation of Iran — fromsponsor of terror to member in good standing in the community of nations — is thegreat gamble in this agreement. Iran today is arming and organizing terrorists in Syria,Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar, Somalia and elsewhere. Will an agreement requiring constantengagement with former adversaries, notably the U.S., change Iran? There is noshortage of doubters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicted it ‘willenable [Iran] to continue to pursue its aggression and terror.’ Without an agreement,however, Iran already is pursuing its aggression and terror. It isacting outside the sphereof responsible states. This agreement creates a scenario in which that fundamentalistdynamic might change. Is it guaranteed? Not at all. But none of the doubters haveoffered a better idea. This is what we’ve got.”– Arizona Republic, 7/14/15