Republican Senate candidate from Pennsylvania Dr. Mehmet Oz said he would call for sanctions to be kept against the Islamic Republic as the first and important step in curbing Iran’s regime in a virtual candidate meet and greet hosted by Iranian Americans for the Constitution, IA4C and moderated by Iranian American journalist Lisa Daftari.
"It's rare to find someone who thinks highly of the Iranian leadership," said Oz, underscoring that the U.S. should not allow the Islamic Republic to pursue nuclear weapons, given that the current regime is "untrustworthy."
Oz stated that the Iranian people can count on his support, citing his kinship with many Iranians with different backgrounds, describing the country and culture as "rich and something that must be protected."
"I don't understand why we would re-enter the Iran deal; it was a mistake the first time around, and it remains a mistake. Negotiating with Iran says a very clear message to our allies that we are not sure what we should be doing. It's bad for our allies if we do a deal with them, and I think it's bad for our country, which is the main reason why we should not negotiate with Iran," explained Oz.
Oz noted that countries like Iran, China, and Russia are empowered by the United States when officials negotiate with them from a position of weakness.
In addition to his stance against the Islamic Republic, Oz stated his support for the Abraham Accords, the peace and prosperity deal brokered by President Trump between Israel and its Arab allies, adding that it helped “solidify the economic and political realities of the region."
Oz praised the actions of Sunni Arabs and Israel working together to address the "existential threat" coming from Iran while sharing a common vision for prosperity and stability amongst people in the region. Oz stated that President Biden is "weak on these relationships and has not created any new Abraham Accords relationships and has been weak on Iran."
Oz stressed that by not sending messages to Sunni Arabs about being tough on Iran, this fails to deal with a big issue in the region.
