Sen. Blumenthal said he wants to focus on ways to improve and strengthen the deal with Iran.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced on Tuesday that he will support the Iran nuclear plan. Speaking in Hartford, he said, "Rejecting this agreement is fraught with unacceptable risk."
Blumenthal's support of the Iran nuclear deal ends weeks of speculation, where organizations on both sides of the issue took to the airwaves and social media to influence the Senator's decision.
Blumenthal acknowledged there are flaws in the agreement, but said the deal accomplishes his primary goal: to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons without using military conflict. One of the major factors in Blumenthal's decision was what rejecting the agreement would mean for the U.S.
"We would be isolated, not Iran," said Blumenthal. "Iran's nuclear program would be unconstrained. Our relationship with our allies would be fractured. Our position with respect to not only our allies, but our foes would be weakened. We would essentially be alone in seeking to enforce sanctions, or use military force."
Blumenthal said he now wants to focus on ways to improve and strengthen the deal with Iran, including measures to ensure Iran does not finance terrorist groups when sanctions against that country are lifted.
Blumenthal joins the rest of Connecticut's congressional delegation in support of the deal. Blumenthal's support also guarantees enough votes in the Senate to block passage of a disapproval resolution on the Iran nuclear deal.
This report contains information from The Associated Press.
