--- title: Fiorina Says Iran Deal Best That Can Be Had For Now description: Former tech executive tells voters at the Iowa State Fair that a new President must start on new deal with Tehran. canonical: https://time.com/4000607/carly-fiorina-iran/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-17T19:04:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:02:01.350Z article:section: Politics og:title: Fiorina Says There's Nothing More to Be Done on Iran Deal og:description: "We should be realistic. The rest of the world has moved on.” og:url: https://time.com/4000607/carly-fiorina-iran/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd579ae1236094fff/69885faae20a87e618a8ccad/carly-fiorina-iowa1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Carly Fiorina - Iowa og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Fiorina Says There's Nothing More to Be Done on Iran Deal twitter:description: "We should be realistic. The rest of the world has moved on.” twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd579ae1236094fff/69885faae20a87e618a8ccad/carly-fiorina-iowa1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Fiorina Urges Republicans to Face Reality on Iran Deal  by [Philip Elliott](/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Aug 17, 2015 7:04 PM CUT  Carly Fiorina waits to be introduced before speaking during a campaign event at the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines in Waukee, Iowa on Aug. 16, 2015. Carly Fiorina waits to be introduced before speaking during a campaign event at the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines in Waukee, Iowa on Aug. 16, 2015.Joshua Lott— Reuters  by [Philip Elliott](/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Aug 17, 2015 7:04 PM CUT White House hopeful Carly Fiorina said Monday it’s time to be realistic about the pending deal with Iran over its nuclear ambitions: the current parameters are likely to be put into place and there’s nothing to be done until President Barack Obama leaves office. “I earnestly hope that Congress will vote down this deal,” she said. “But we should be realistic. The rest of the world has moved on.” The Republican former tech executive told voters at the Iowa State Fair that she would go to work negotiating a new deal if she were elected President. Fiorina said the United States could put pressure on Iran to return to the negotiating table by limiting its ability to move money internationally, as well as lobbying other world leaders to join Washington in pressuring Tehran. But in the coming weeks, there’s not much anyone can do, she lamented. “New deal, new deal,” she said, taking questions from voters who wandered between stalls of deep-fried food and livestock. She said her message to Iranian leaders would be direct if elected President: “Until you open every military and every nuclear facility to real anytime, anywhere inspections, the United States of America, without anyone’s permission or collaboration, will make it as difficult as possible for you to move money around the global financial system.” Fiorina, a never-before-elected candidate and the lone woman seeking the Republican nomination, has captured voters’ interest during this summer lull. A polished performance during an undercard debate helped her poll numbers climb, and she is spending much time camped out in early nominating Iowa and New Hampshire. More voters are starting to give her a listen. And they’re finding the former Hewlett Packard CEO’s conservative message includes a pragmatism not found in some of her rivals’ promises. For instance, she said it is unlikely Congress can derail the agreement with Iran and renegotiating it with the current partners seems unrealistic. “China and Russia have never been negotiating on our side of the table,” she said. China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States negotiated the deal with Iran. Under the deal, Iran will get relief from sanctions and regain access to international oil markets, which will bring it a windfall of about $100 billion. In exchange, Iran must dispose of most of its low-enriched uranium, stop efforts to produce or acquire more nuclear fuel and consent to inspections. The deal is expected to block Iran from obtaining the technology needed to build a nuclear weapon for at least a decade. ### LIFE's Best Convention Photos: The GOP  Scene at the 1968 Republican National Convention, Miami Beach, Florida. Ralph Crane—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene at the 1968 Republican National Convention, Miami Beach, Florida. Lynn Pelham—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Go-go girl and delegates during the 1968 Republican National Convention, Miami Beach, Florida. Lynn Pelham—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Arizona politician and future U.S. Attorney General Richard Kleindienst (left) confers with Nebraska's Richard Herman during the 1964 GOP National Convention in San Francisco. Bill Ray—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Ronald Reagan at the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco. Ralph Crane—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene during the 1960 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Michael Rougier—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Not originally published in LIFE. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (center) During the 1960 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Martin Luther King Jr. leads a demonstration calling for a strong Civil Rights plank in the GOP campaign platform.leading Negro demonstration for strong Civil Rights plank in COP campaign platform Francis Miller—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene during the 1960 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Michael Rougier—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene during the 1960 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Michael Rougier—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene at the 1956 Republican National Convention, San Francisco, California. Ed Clark—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Left to right: President Dwight D. Eisenhower, his wife Mamie, Richard M. Nixon and his wife, Pat, at the 1956 GOP National Convention, San Francisco, California. Hank Walker—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene at the 1956 Republican National Convention, San Francisco. Leonard McCombe—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Chairman of the Republican National Committee Arthur E. Summerfield on the telephone during the 1952 GOP National Convention in Chicago. George Skadding—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Control booth, 1952 GOP National Convention in Chicago. Cornell Capa—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Bertha Baur, a prominent figure at conventions for decades and a long-time member of the Republican National Committee, in an elephant hat at the 1952 GOP National Convention in Chicago. Francis Miller—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Pennsylvania Governor John Fine (left) and Arthur Summerfield chat in private during the 1952 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Ralph Morse—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Republicans hold an informal conference in a kitchen during the 1952 GOP National Convention in Chicago. Cornell Capa—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Vice-presidential nominee Richard Nixon and his wife Pat talk with photographers during the 1952 GOP National Convention in Chicago. Ralph Morse—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene at the 1952 GOP National Convention in Chicago. Alfred Eisenstaedt—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene at the 1948 GOP National Convention in Philadelphia. Gjon Mili—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Scene at the 1948 GOP National Convention in Philadelphia. Gjon Mili—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Pennsylvania delegates to the 1944 Republican National Convention in Chicago pull cold beers from a tub of ice after a caucus meeting. Thomas McAvoy—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Delegates listen to Herbert Hoover during the 1944 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Gordon Coster—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  A model wears a bathing suit in a fashion show at Ohio senator Robert Taft's headquarters during the 1940 GOP National Convention in Philadelphia. William C. Shrout—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  A young Republican rests on a sofa in the Hotel Adelphi during the 1940 GOP National Convention in Philadelphia. ("Van" is Sen. Arthur Vandenberg of Michigan, long considered a front-runner for the GOP nomination; instead, the Republicans nominated Indiana's Wendell Willkie, who lost the election to the Democratic incumbent, FDR.) David E. 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