French President: Destroying the JCPOA Would Be a Dangerous Mistake

Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday, September 19, in his first speech as President of France at the United Nations General Assembly, defended the nuclear agreement between six world powers and Iran, stating that the cancellation of the JCPOA without a suitable replacement would be a dangerous mistake. Speaking shortly after Donald Trump's speech, the President of the United States, he expressed that rejecting this agreement without providing an alternative would be a significant error and that failing to respect it is also an irresponsible act. He added that this agreement is a good one that is essential for peace in this era, as the risk of explosion in the region cannot be ignored. The French President stated that he clearly articulated Paris's position on this matter during his meeting with Donald Trump on Monday. Donald Trump, in his first speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, criticized the JCPOA, calling it 'the worst one-sided deal' that the U.S. has ever signed and referred to it as 'a source of shame for America.' Iran and six world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015. Under this agreement, Iran halted parts of its nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of nuclear sanctions against the country. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron warned in an interview with CNN before his speech at the General Assembly that exiting the JCPOA could lead Iran to follow North Korea's path. The French President stated in this interview: 'If President Trump thinks this agreement is not perfect, I agree with him. But this is the agreement we have.' He added: 'As a result of this agreement, we can now monitor Iran's nuclear program through the International Atomic Energy Agency, and I think this is better than nothing. If we withdraw from the nuclear agreement, we will enter a situation similar to North Korea.' The French President indicated that North Korea is a good example concerning Iran. He added: 'Why? Because for many years we have stopped all processes regarding North Korea. We halted all monitoring and negotiations with them; what was the result? They will acquire nuclear weapons.' Emmanuel Macron emphasized: 'I do not want this situation to be repeated concerning Iran.' Last week, the French Foreign Minister suggested that discussions should take place to strengthen the Iran nuclear agreement after its term ends in 2025 and warned that the failure of this agreement could push Iran's neighbors towards nuclearization.