Donald Trump: I Have Made My Decision on the JCPOA

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, said on Wednesday, September 20, that he has made his decision regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA. According to Reuters, during a press conference with Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Trump responded to the question of whether he has made his decision on the JCPOA by stating, "I have made my decision and I will tell you what that decision is." The U.S. President did not specify what decision he has made in this regard. On Tuesday, in his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump referred to the Iran nuclear deal as a "bad deal" and emphasized that the U.S. will never remain in a one-sided agreement that offers no benefit to the country. Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, stated on Wednesday regarding Trump's remarks that these comments do not indicate a withdrawal from the JCPOA but rather show his dissatisfaction with it. A CBS News host asked Haley if Trump's description of the nuclear agreement with Iran as the "worst one-sided deal" the U.S. has ever signed was a sign that he wants to withdraw from this agreement. Haley responded that this is not a clear sign of his desire to exit the agreement but rather a clear indication of his dissatisfaction with it. According to a law passed by Congress, the U.S. government must report every 90 days to lawmakers on Iran's compliance or non-compliance with the JCPOA. The Trump administration has confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA twice so far. In October, the U.S. government must once again express its opinion regarding the JCPOA. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations stated on Wednesday, referring to Trump's remarks from the previous day, that because of this agreement, the United States has not become safer. If you look at the facts, yes, this (agreement) is a one-sided deal regarding nuclear development, and everyone is talking about it, but U.S. law mandates that the other side must also be considered, which is Iran's violations, arms smuggling, ballistic missile program development, and so on. The CBS News host further asked about Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's statement that exiting the JCPOA would have high costs for the U.S. What is your response? The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations replied that instead of focusing on our exit from the agreement, he should start adhering to the laws, stop arms smuggling, end all interventions in the Middle East, cease support for terrorism, and stop ballistic missile tests. He is not adhering to his commitments under the agreement and wants to shift the responsibility for this issue onto us, while he is responsible in this regard. The CBS News host asked if this means Trump does not certify the nuclear agreement. Haley responded that this is a decision only the President of the United States can make, but what I can say is that if he decides not to certify Iran's compliance, he certainly has sufficient reasons for such action. Iran and the six world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015. Under this agreement, Iran halted parts of its nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of nuclear sanctions against the country. If the Trump administration does not certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, Congress has 60 days to either keep the nuclear sanctions against Iran suspended or reinstate them. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, referred to the JCPOA as a "good agreement" during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, stating that "non-compliance with it would be irresponsible." Macron also warned in an interview with CNN that exiting the JCPOA could lead Iran to follow North Korea's path. In this context, there has been strong criticism from Iranian security and military officials regarding Trump's remarks at the United Nations, with Zarif criticizing Trump's statements and Mogherini emphasizing the need to preserve the JCPOA in her meeting with Pence. Tillerson stated that if the U.S. is to remain in the JCPOA, changes must be made to it. Netanyahu stated at the United Nations that the continuation of the JCPOA would turn Iran into another North Korea. The President of France stated that destroying the JCPOA would be a dangerous mistake. Trump stated that the criminal regime of Iran should not be allowed to continue its destabilizing actions.