European Leaders Warn About Consequences of Actions Harmful to Nuclear Agreement

Leaders of Germany, France, and Britain, the three European countries involved in the nuclear negotiations with Iran, warned on Friday about actions harmful to the nuclear agreement, including the re-imposition of sanctions, following the announcement of the new U.S. strategy towards Iran. Concurrently, Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated that the JCPOA is not a bilateral agreement and that although the U.S. President has significant powers, ending the JCPOA is not among those powers. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, announced his administration's new strategy towards Iran on Friday, stating that he cannot certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement. This now gives the U.S. Congress a 60-day opportunity to consider the possibility of reinstating sanctions on Iran. Mr. Trump also mentioned that he has allowed the Treasury Department to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to its sanctions list. He warned that if we cannot reach a solution with Congress and our allies, we will end this agreement. In one of the first reactions to the announcement of Trump's new strategy towards Iran, the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain issued a joint statement declaring that the Iranian nuclear agreement is the 'culmination of 13 years of diplomacy' and 'a significant step in ensuring that Iran's nuclear program does not turn towards military objectives.' Angela Merkel, Theresa May, and Emmanuel Macron emphasized their countries' commitment to the full implementation of the JCPOA by all parties and urged the U.S. President and Congress to consider the potential security consequences before taking any steps that could harm the nuclear agreement, including re-imposing sanctions on Iran. They also stated that they share concerns about Iran's missile program and its destabilizing actions in the region and are prepared to take necessary measures in this regard. The three European leaders specified that they expect Iran to commit to constructive dialogue regarding what has been termed destabilizing actions and to seek a solution through negotiation in this area. Germany, France, and Britain, which have been working for 13 years and several years before the formation of the Iran and P5+1 talks to find a solution to Iran's nuclear issue, have recently made efforts to preserve the nuclear agreement, including contacts between the ambassadors of these countries in Washington and the U.S. Congress. Alongside the leaders of these three countries, Federica Mogherini was also one of the first figures to react to the announcement of the new U.S. strategy, stating that the Iranian nuclear agreement is nearing fruition. She said that neither as a global community nor certainly as the European Union can we bear the cost of dissolving an agreement that is yielding results. Ms. Mogherini emphasized that an agreement reached after more than 12 years between Iran and six world powers 'does not belong to one country' and 'in my understanding, no country can end an agreement that has been supported and implemented by a unanimous resolution of the Security Council and has been verified.' She added that 'it is clear that ending such an agreement is not within the power of the President of any country, and although the U.S. President has significant power, this is not among them.' Ms. Mogherini, who led the negotiations leading to the nuclear agreement, also called for similar action from other parties while emphasizing Europe's loyalty to the JCPOA. The announcement of the new U.S. strategy regarding the JCPOA and the emphasis on Iran's non-compliance comes as Bob Corker, a prominent Republican senator, announced on Friday that he will present a legislative draft in two weeks that will amend some flaws of the JCPOA, including the expiration of the time limits set in the JCPOA, known as 'sunset clauses,' while maintaining the JCPOA. The temporary nature of parts of the nuclear agreement, Iran's financial benefit from this agreement, the failure of the agreement to prevent missile tests, the limited ability of inspectors to monitor Iranian sites, and Iran's non-compliance with the spirit of the JCPOA are among the major grievances of Donald Trump regarding the nuclear agreement, all of which were emphasized in his speech on Friday night. The new U.S. strategy towards Iran has been welcomed by Israel and Saudi Arabia, and in the U.S., Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has expressed his support for it.