France Urges US Congress Not to Pave the Way for the Abrogation of the JCPOA

After Donald Trump, the President of the United States, failed to certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, opening the door for Congress to potentially reinstate sanctions on Iran, France, through its Foreign Minister, urged the US Congress not to pave the way for the abrogation of the JCPOA. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Foreign Minister, stated in an interview with AFP on Saturday, "We strongly hope that Congress [of the United States], which is now responsible for a potential abrogation, does not jeopardize this agreement." He added that especially in the context of negotiations with North Korea, "if we condemn a respected agreement, a dangerous precedent will be set." AFP assessed Mr. Le Drian's position as being in harmony with Britain, Germany, Russia, and China, other countries involved in Iran's nuclear talks. On Friday, Donald Trump emphasized the "serious and numerous flaws" of the Iran nuclear agreement, stating that based on credible information he received, he could not certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA. This action ties the fate of Iran's nuclear agreement to Congress's decision regarding the potential reinstatement of sanctions on Iran. Under the nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers, reached in July 2015 after years of negotiations in Vienna, several international sanctions against Tehran are lifted in exchange for limitations on Iran's nuclear program, and Congress's potential decision to restore some of these sanctions could jeopardize the future of the JCPOA. In this context, the French Foreign Minister emphasized that "the Vienna agreement is a good agreement for us, which prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons by limiting the proliferation [of nuclear weapons]." Mr. Le Drian specified that this agreement is a "powerful and coherent" one. The French Foreign Minister did not rule out the possibility of negotiating what happens after 2025 when the restrictions on Iran's uranium enrichment are lifted, restrictions that Washington is interested in extending permanently. Mr. Le Drian stated, "We can begin preliminary discussions about what happens after 2025 with Tehran. If this treaty is respected, Iran can pursue rights within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. If safeguards or inspections are necessary now, we will start discussions about that. This is a way to avoid current loopholes, and in this regard, we are ready to consider American concerns as well." On Friday, in the first reaction to Donald Trump's decision regarding the nuclear agreement, the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain emphasized their shared concerns with the US regarding Iran's missile program and destabilizing actions, stating they are ready to take necessary measures in this regard. However, they reminded that their countries remain committed to the JCPOA and warned against actions that could harm the nuclear agreement, including the reinstatement of sanctions. Donald Trump stated that he would work with Congress and US allies to rectify the flaws in the nuclear agreement, but threatened that if they fail to reach a solution with Congress and their allies, they would terminate the agreement.