{"id":61129,"date":"2018-12-04T18:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T18:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/04\/scrapping-iran-nuclear-deal-hasnt-slowed-iran-says-centcom-nominee\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:31:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:31:55","slug":"scrapping-iran-nuclear-deal-hasnt-slowed-iran-says-centcom-nominee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/12\/04\/scrapping-iran-nuclear-deal-hasnt-slowed-iran-says-centcom-nominee\/","title":{"rendered":"Scrapping nuclear deal hasn\u2019t slowed Iran, says CENTCOM nominee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 America\u2019s withdrawal<\/a> from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year has not slowed Tehran down, according to the incoming commander of U.S. Central Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIran\u2019s malign behavior hasn\u2019t abated since before during or after the nuclear deal in the domains in which I see \u2014 which is their development of ballistic missiles, their activities in Syria and Yemen, and in other [Mideastern] nations,\u201d the nominee, Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr.<\/a>, told lawmakers Tuesday. McKenzie has served as the director of the Joint Staff since August 2017, and is likely to be confirmed before year\u2019s end. He called Iran the region\u2019s \u201cmost significant long- and short-term threat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At McKenzie\u2019s Senate Armed Services Committee\u2019s confirmation hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and a likely presidential contender in 2020, pushed back on President Donald Trump\u2019s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under his predecessor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf Iran maintains itself in compliance, then I believe the president should reverse his reckless decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions because the deal makes America safer and the world safer,\u201d Warren said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During an exchange with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, McKenzie said U.S. withdrawal from the pact and its reimposition of sanctions continues to pressure Tehran\u2019s economy, but acknowledged it may be able to circumvent sanctions by working with other nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Tehran aspires to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, he said, the U.S. is watching its tests of space launch technology that could be transferred to \u201can ICBM of significant range.\u201d If Iran were to become a nuclear power, not only would it threaten the U.S. but destabilize the region and \u201clead the worst of all possible outcomes for us, which would be proliferation across the theater,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McKenzie acknowledged the National Defense Strategy\u2019s emphasis on China and Russia \u2014 which forecasts reduced CENTCOM force structure \u2014 has impacted the frequency of U.S. aircraft carriers in the region<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s going to require the command to adopt innovative techniques to deter Iran because that\u2019s the underpinning of everything else that will go on in the theater,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Iran were to challenge a U.S. naval vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, for example, it might take longer for the U.S. to respond, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The testimony came after the Senate advanced a resolution to withdraw U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting a proxy war in Yemen <\/a>with Iranian-backed Houthis. Support for the resolution has been fueled by outrage over Riyadh\u2019s involvement in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the civilian death toll from the Saudi-led bombing campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\t