Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement amid reports of an emerging nuclear deal between the Obama administration and Iran.

"I am deeply troubled that Secretary Kerry would rush to Geneva to enter into a deal with the Iranians, which by all accounts is temporary, incomplete, and a bad deal," said Risch.  "The idea of a temporary deal is a broken record we have listened to before.

“Ten years ago, Rouhani, who is now president, used negotiations to buy time for Iran to develop its nuclear weapons program.  Since then, the United States and its allies have imposed crippling sanctions on Iran that Iran desperately wants lifted.

“In the absence of a permanent deal, where they fully disclose and verifiably cease weapons related activities, any "deal" will fall disastrously short, give Iran what it desires, guarantee the West will have to live with a nuclear Iran, and abandon our closest ally - Israel.  The Obama administration is about to make another colossal blunder in the Middle East."  

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