Defenders of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal responded with trepidation to news this week that the Democrats’ staunchest Iran hawk would be reclaiming a top congressional role.

In a hallway interview, however, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., told Al-Monitor that he does not plan to use his perch as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to try to rip up the agreement. Instead, Menendez expressed skepticism about President Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw from the agreement, even as he himself champions further sanctions against Tehran for its non-nuclear activities.

“I think the president would be better served getting our European allies to join us in our multilateral sanctions effort,” Menendez said. He called on the White House to build international support for revisiting the deal’s so-called sunset clauses, under which nuclear and other restrictions on Iran lessen over time.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., allowed Menendez to resume his post on Feb. 6, after the Department of Justice dropped corruption charges against him. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., had been filling in since April 2015 while Menendez remained under a cloud of suspicion and stood trial.