European Diplomat Reports 'Progress' in Negotiations Addressing Trump's Concerns about the JCPOA

A European diplomat stated on Thursday, April 12, that officials from Britain, France, and Germany believe they have made 'good progress' towards reaching an agreement to address Donald Trump's concerns regarding the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA. According to Reuters, the diplomat, who requested anonymity, told a group of reporters: 'We left the meeting feeling that we have made good progress in addressing the concerns of Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and we are on the verge of reaching an agreement.' Reuters reported that diplomats from the three European countries met on Wednesday with Brian Hook, the U.S. State Department's Special Representative for Iran, in Washington. This report did not provide further details about the negotiations. Previously, Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, stated: 'We are strengthening this agreement in cooperation with our European allies and want to hold Iran accountable for its support of terrorism in the region.' Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany, reached an agreement in July 2015 to resolve Iran's nuclear program and lift international sanctions against it. Under this agreement, known as the JCPOA, Iran agreed to halt many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of nuclear sanctions against the country. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, set a deadline two months ago to address the deficiencies and shortcomings he identified in the JCPOA, threatening that without addressing these deficiencies, he would not extend the lifting of sanctions on Iran and would withdraw from the nuclear deal. This deadline expires on May 12, 2018. The European governments involved in the nuclear negotiations with Iran have recently held discussions with U.S. representatives in several European cities to examine Washington's specific requests for changes to the JCPOA; they have simultaneously held meetings with Iranian officials. Donald Trump has set four conditions for the U.S. to continue its participation in the JCPOA, which include: 'immediate access' for international inspectors to all Iranian sites and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's long-range missile program; as Mr. Trump stated, the long-range missile program and Iran's nuclear weapons program are 'inseparable.' Meanwhile, Iranian officials have rejected any revision to the nuclear agreement.