NIAC Statement on P5+1-Iran Talks in Lausanne

National Iranian American Council (NIAC) President Trita Parsi delivered the following remarks at a press event convened by the Arms Control Association today as negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran get underway in Lausanne, Switzerland:

"This is about non proliferation. But it's also about so much more than just centrifuges and enrichment. In the next few days, the future of America and the Middle East will be decided. There's a path that carries the promise of peace. And there's a path that carries the risk of war. Ultimately, that is what this is about.

"If the two sides manage to come to terms, both a war and a nuclear bomb will have been avoided. It will be nothing short of historic. On par with Nixon's trip to China and the Camp David Accords.

"Both sides have to give. Both sides have to adjust. Thinking otherwise is not just naive, it's dangerous. Pursuing maximalist goals, or seeking to impose such goals on the negotiators, will ensure failure.

"This is the moment where true leaders are separated from mere politicians. True leaders know that history will not judge them for the petty and desperate criticism they faced, but for the courage they showed to grasp for a peace that appeared beyond the possible. It is that courage we are now depending on for the right path to be chosen.

"Both sides are willing to walk away from the table if the right deal is not found. But let us not kid ourselves what that will mean. Failure is not a return to the current status quo. It is a deterioration of the situation economically, politically, and militarily.

"The voices of war have been quiet as of late precisely because of the ongoing negotiations. If talks collapse, however, those whispers will turn into roars.

"For the American public, and perhaps particularly for the Iranian American community, this is a nightmare we must avoid. 12 years after President Bush declared mission accomplished, Iraq is a broken country ravaged by sectarianism and ISIS barbarians. America is exhausted and looking for healing.

"Neither America not Iran can afford such a mistake again. The world will not forgive them if they do.

"The voices of war have been quiet as of late precisely because of the ongoing negotiations. If talks collapse, however, those whispers will turn into roars.

"For the American public, and perhaps particularly for the Iranian American community, this is a nightmare we must avoid. 12 years after President Bush declared mission accomplished, Iraq is a broken country ravaged by sectarianism and ISIS barbarians. America is exhausted and looking for healing.

"Neither America not Iran can afford such a mistake again. The world will not forgive them if they do. That is why,in the days ahead, true leaders must rise up."