Ed Royce Calls for Strict Oversight of Iran Nuclear Agreement

The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, stated that the international nuclear agreement with Iran should be subject to strict oversight, but he did not call for its cancellation. A Democratic representative also mentioned that dismantling this agreement would be a 'grave mistake.' According to Reuters, Royce emphasized the need for Washington to collaborate with its allies regarding the JCPOA during a Q&A session on Wednesday, October 11. He stated, 'As long as this agreement is flawed, I believe it should be under strict oversight.' Royce was a staunch opponent of the nuclear agreement when it was signed in July 2015, like many other congressional Republicans. However, several Democrats who supported the previous U.S. administration, including Eliot Engel in the House, also opposed this agreement, but Engel said on Wednesday that dismantling the Iran agreement would be a 'grave mistake' because it has been implemented and supported by America's allies and other global powers. He added, 'We need to work on common issues with our allies and partners so that we can hold the Iranian regime accountable, rather than isolating the U.S. from our closest friends around the world.' If Washington does not certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, the U.S. Congress will have 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions against Iran that were lifted under the agreement. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that former U.S. officials from the Obama administration, who played a key role in reaching the nuclear agreement with Iran, are set to inform Democratic representatives and senators on this matter. These developments come as the Trump administration is expected to announce its overall strategy regarding Iran this week, which will include its stance on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It is likely that the U.S. President will soon report to Congress that the Iran nuclear agreement is not in the national interests of the United States. The meeting of former U.S. officials with congressional Democrats will be held behind closed doors and will include figures such as John Kerry, former Secretary of State, Ernest Moniz, former Secretary of Energy, and Wendy Sherman, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs in the Obama administration. The Associated Press also reported the presence of Gérard Araud, the French ambassador to the U.S., Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the U.S., and Peter Wittig, the German ambassador to the U.S. These countries were among the members of the P5+1 group that reached an agreement with Iran on resolving its nuclear program and lifting international sanctions. Donald Trump, a staunch opponent of the JCPOA, has repeatedly accused Iran of violating the spirit of the nuclear agreement with global powers and disrupting peace and stability in the Middle East. Washington has particularly pointed its finger at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which it claims has intervened militarily in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon. Contrary to the U.S. government's stance on the JCPOA, four countries—Britain, China, Russia, France, and Germany—have emphasized the continuation of the Iran nuclear agreement and have urged Washington not to withdraw from it.