Tester stands with Montanans, Americans, veterans, religious leaders in support of Iran nuclear agreement

The following Montanans, Americans, veterans and religious leaders all joined Senator Jon Tester in supporting the nuclear agreement with Iran:

“After reading the agreement, consulting with experts and listening to Montanans, it’s clear this deal is the only option right now to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. This agreement isn’t built on trust — it’s about holding Iran accountable through intrusive inspections and aggressive monitoring. If Iran violates this agreement, all options are on the table to ensure the security of America, Israel and our allies.” 

– U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Big Sandy

“As a Montana rabbi, I personally agree with the many Israeli and American nuclear, military, and security experts who say that this agreement offers us our best alternative to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. Polls show that American Jews support the Iran agreement by a wide margin, but like Americans generally, we’re not unified. We all understand that there are risks in signing and risks in not signing. As a strong supporter of and frequent visitor to Israel, I realize that the Iranian government is not our friend and that some Iranian leaders say they hate us and Israel. But every President since Ronald Reagan has tried to tie Iran’s nuclear weapons hands and this agreement finally does that. It is stronger than any other country’s restrictions under the Non-proliferation treaty and is the only realistic alternative, short of war, that accomplishes our objectives and protects Israel.

“Apart from the advantages of this agreement over the alternatives, there are several important Jewish religious values at stake here. The first, found in Deuteronomy, says that before attacking an adversary, one must always offer peace. The second is that Judaism considers peace to be the highest of all values.

“I have watched closely and I’m very impressed with the depth of Senator Tester’s study of the issue, and the great range of views he has considered. I applaud the Senator for having the courage, wisdom, and statesmanship to support this historic agreement.”

– Rabbi Ed Stafman, Bozeman

“The nuclear agreement with Iran meets a national security imperative in that it is our best opportunity to keep Iran out of the nuclear weapons club. We must look to our nation’s political leaders to approve it and thereby put wisdom and prudence above the lethal mix of partisan politics and bluster. Thank you, Senator Tester for your leadership in doing just that.”
– Major General (USAF, Ret.) Don Loranger, Bigfork

“I think the deal is a good one, both for the U.S. and the international community, and I have been puzzled by the concerns of the critics. Oftentimes, the sign of a good deal is when both sides are at least a little bit unhappy, which is certainly the case here. Good diplomacy is rarely a one-way street, and when assessing the deal, people should bear in mind that the alternatives to not having a deal were unappealing.”

– Francis Gavin, Professor in Nuclear Security Policy Studies at MIT

“There is no better option to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon. Military action would be less effective than the deal, assuming it is fully implemented. If the Iranians cheat, our advanced technology, intelligence and the inspections will reveal it, and U.S. military options remain on the table.”

– Major General William L. Nash (U.S. Army)
General Merrill “Tony” McPeak (U.S. Air Force)
Rear Admiral John Hutson (U.S. Navy)
27 other retired American generals and admirals

“I think the United States scored a great success in creating this international coalition to face down the nuclear threat which threatens the world at large.”

– Efraim Halevy, former Director of Mossad under President Netanyahu

“We will have bought a couple of years, and if Iran cheats or reneges we will be in an even better position to double down on sanctions or, if necessary, use military force.”

– Gary Samore, former head of “United Against Nuclear Iran”
He resigned to support the Iran nuclear agreement.

“By all yardsticks, this is a very strong accomplishment…The nuclear accord stands to stop the Iranian pathways to a nuclear weapon in their tracks, where rhetoric, sanctions and the threat of force have not.”

– Daniel Kurtzer, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel

“The agreement on the Iranian nuclear program is viewed in a positive light by the Holy See. It constitutes an important outcome of the negotiations carried out so far, although continued efforts and commitment on the part of all involved will be necessary in order for it to bear fruit.”

– Federico Lombardi, Spokesman for Pope Francis