Posted by Basbibi Kakar.
According to American and European officials, United States and Iran’s are closing in on a historic agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program. But the parties are facing problems, including when United Nations sanctions would be lifted and how inspections would be conducted.
President Obama is strongly against an agreement with Iran without curbing nuclear weapons in such a dangerous region. He also wants to reassure the world that all options would be available if Iran ultimately cheated. In an interview with New York Times, Obama said that America has Israel’s back, and he also said that he can accept a vote in Congress as long as it did not block his ability to carry out the agreement. The President said that he would make sure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. America also will send a clear message to Iranians that if anybody messes with Israel, America will be there.
Under Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, the Congress has power to provide for the common defense and general welfare; Congress also has the power to declare war. Congress can provide for organizing, and arming the United States. The Congress can also decide to ratify the agreement with Iran thereby restricting them or stop the process of creating the Nuclear weapon. America can go to war with Iran, since Congress has the power to organize and arm soldiers.
Obama gave new details about how international inspectors would inspect Iran’s covert nuclear sites and about how they would lift the sanctions. Obama hopes that security will be transformed in Middle East, however, the Middle East was never secure. America’s main focus is to ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.
But Iran never stopped working on their nuclear weapon. Since Iran has promised before that they would stop working toward a nuclear weapon, they have broken contract law. Contract law could be enforced and their rights to continue working the plant could be taken away. The alternative is Congress could exercise their authority under Article I to resolve the problem.
Basbibi is an economics and international trade and development major at Montclair State University, Class of 2017.