To the editor:

In his November 25 article, "Israel's Iran Dilemma," Roger Cohen may indeed be correct that the deal negotiated between the "P5+1" and Iran was "the best deal that could be had," but in that case no deal would have been better than this "best deal."

Iran should never be placed in "the same category" as countries like Japan and Germany, which have not be repeatedly violating their commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, have not been clandestinely working on nuclear weapons and are not blustering about obliterating any members of the family of nations.

Already, Iran is playing games with its commitments under its apparently not quite completed agreement with the P5+1 and is boasting that the agreement won't even affect its enrichment program. Meanwhile, unless Congress acts responsibly, we will have given up the only leverage we have, short of military action, to prevent a nuclear Iran.

Congress should pass already proposed legislation assuring increased sanctions when Iran inevitably cheats and when the six-month interim agreement inevitably expires without an agreement permanently ending Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Sincerely,
Alan Stein, Ph.D.