‘If we walk away, world powers won’t walk away with us’ — Kerry

If the deal is shot down, Iran will proceed full speed ahead with enrichment, and the other world powers won’t walk away with the US, Kerry warns.

“If we walk away from what was agreed in Vienna, we will be walking away from every one of the restrictions we have negotiated, and giving Iran the green light to double the pace of its uranium enrichment, proceed full speed ahead with a heavy water reactor, install new and more efficient centrifuges, and do it all without the unprecedented inspection and transparency measures we’ve secured,” he says. “If we walk away, our partners will not walk away with us. Instead, they’ll walk away from the tough multilateral sanctions regime they helped us to put in place.”

If the US walks away, Iran will “push the program ahead potentially forcing military conflict,” says Kerry.

Kerry addresses criticism that the deal is only a temporary measure.

“And to those who are thinking about opposing the deal because of what might happen in year 15 or 16 – I ask you to simply focus on this, if we walk away, year 15 starts tomorrow,” he says. “What is the alternative?”

He says it’s “nonsense” to suggest the deal legitimizes Iran’s nuclear program.

“If they try to evade that obligation, we will know it,” he says, adding that US and IAEA has abilities to monitor Iran.

“If we walk away from the deal and then use military force” the UN and world powers won’t be behind us, Kerry says.

“I understand the fear. I understand the concerns our friends in Israel have,” says Kerry. “We do not lose any option in 20 years, 5 years, that we have available to us today.”