Donald Trump's Advisor: Iran's Nuclear Agreement is Under Review

The senior advisor at the White House on nuclear issues emphasized that the United States currently considers itself obligated to adhere to the nuclear agreement with Iran and is closely monitoring Iran's compliance with its commitments. Christopher Ford, the senior director for weapons of mass destruction and nuclear nonproliferation at the National Security Council, stated on Tuesday, March 21, in a speech at the Carnegie Institute, that the agreement is currently under review, but until a new decision is made, Washington will strive to act within the framework of the agreement. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is a strong critic of the nuclear agreement with Iran and mentioned during his meeting on Monday with Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, that no one knows why former President Barack Obama signed this agreement. Trump's positions against the nuclear agreement and his campaign promises to tear it up have left the fate of this agreement shrouded in uncertainties. However, several U.S. officials, including the new Secretary of State, have assured that the U.S. will not unilaterally withdraw from the agreement. Christopher Ford also provided such assurance in his remarks but simultaneously warned Iran that the United States is closely monitoring for any minor violations of the agreement. This White House official further separated the issue of the nuclear agreement from other contentious topics between Tehran and Washington, stating that Washington continues to pressure Tehran regarding issues such as Iran's missile development program, its support for terrorism, efforts to destabilize the region, and human rights violations. The latest report from the U.S. State Department on the state of human rights globally severely criticizes Iran and accuses it of blatant violations of civil liberties, which has led to protests from Iran. In this context, Mike Pence stated: 'We will never allow Iran to become equipped with nuclear weapons.' Trump has called for the expansion of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Amano's assurance of the sustainability of the JCPOA despite the U.S. government's harsh criticisms. Abbas Araghchi stated that all sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program have been lifted. Zarif mentioned that Europe, Russia, and China want to preserve the JCPOA.