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Comments from International Disarmament Institute Director on US Withdrawal from Iran Deal

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Director of the International Disarmament Institute, Dr. Matthew Bolton, told Reuters this week that:

“The decision to withdraw from the Iran deal is truly irresponsible, putting political posturing above human security. The Iran nuclear deal made the world safer and less at risk of nuclear proliferation. The agreement cut off all the pathways to an Iranian bomb. This plays into the hands of hardliners in Iran who also want to scuttle the deal. It is a blow to America’s credibility, undercutting its capacity to persuade others that the US keeps its promises. The rest of the signatories of the Iran Deal – Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the EU – should forge ahead with upholding the agreement.”

He was also interviewed by WAMC Northeast Public Radio and Newsweek.

Last year, he published a more comprehensive analysis in The Hill outlining the importance of the Iran Deal, saying:

“The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the “Iran deal,” represents one of the most significant recent diplomatic victories in curbing the spread of nuclear weapons. It resulted from complex technical negotiations that do not lend themselves to snappy slogans. Nevertheless, at its heart, the agreement’s simple bargain has made the world safer.”

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Matthew Bolton is director of the International Disarmament Institute and associate professor of political science at Pace University in New York City. He has a PhD in Government and Master’s in Development Studies from the London School of Economics. He is an expert on global peace and security policy, focusing on disarmament, humanitarianism and mine action, with field experience in 17 countries, including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya and Uganda. Bolton has published three books, including Foreign Aid and Landmine Clearance (I.B. Tauris). He has been a participant observer in many multilateral disarmament and arms control policymaking processes, on landmines, cluster munitions, guns, the arms trade, nuclear weapons and military robotics. Since 2014 he has worked on the UN advocacy of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. He has an Honorary Doctorate from Graceland University, where he also did his undergraduate degree.

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