Tehran, March 23, IRNA - The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) condemned Donald Trump and other GOP presidential hopefuls’ anti-Iran remarks saying they would be disastrous.

“We condemn Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich for their pledges to undo the diplomatic efforts of President Obama and put the U.S. back on the path to war with Iran,' NIAC Action Executive Director Jamal Abdi said in a statement following the GOP presidential candidates' speeches at the pro-Zionist AIPAC Policy Conference.

'Trump and his colleagues' rhetoric may have won standing ovations from AIPAC, the organization that spent millions to try to kill the Iran deal, but it will not win them White House. The American people do not want another military adventure in the Middle East.'

'Ted Cruz's particularly reckless promise to begin shooting down Iranian missile tests deserves special condemnation. Of all the candidates, he is the most open about his plans for escalation that would all but certainly set off a quick descent into all out war. There are smart ways to deal with Iranian hardliners' provocations,starting a war is not one of them,' Abdi said.

'Unfortunately, all three remaining GOP candidates risk seriously damaging U.S. interests. Cruz says he will 'tear the deal to shreds', Kasich calls for ‘suspending’ the nuclear agreement, and Trump says he would effectively break the accord by renegotiating its terms. These actions would free Iran from its nuclear constraints, punish the American allies we worked with to broker the accord, and isolate the United States in dealing with the results.'

“The nuclear accord has made the United States much safer. Because President Obama chose diplomacy over war ... Bluster didn’t achieve this feat nor did war nor sanctions. It was accomplished because President Obama had the courage to talk directly to his adversaries in Iran...' he added.
“Neither Trump, nor Cruz, nor Kasich would bring to bear this same courage. Their feigned displays of ‘strength’ and ‘toughness’ mask the ultimate weakness of their position on Iran.'

“Nothing is easier than calling Iran bad names, issuing ominous military threats or threatening to rip up the nuclear accord. It is much more difficult to engage with Iran in a serious and sustained manner to resolve America’s concerns and to advance U.S. interests. Should Trump, Cruz or Kasich take the presidency in the coming elections, it is clear that the world will be a much darker and more dangerous place for both the American people and people the world over,” read the NIAC statement.

By IRNA