Germany Expresses Concern Over Potential U.S. Withdrawal from Nuclear Agreement

As Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is expected to announce his administration's strategy regarding Iran and the nuclear agreement in the coming days, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed concern on Sunday about the possibility of the U.S. government withdrawing from the JCPOA. Trump is a staunch critic of the JCPOA, describing it as 'the worst deal ever' and 'a source of shame for the United States.' Although his administration has twice confirmed Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, it is likely that he will announce Iran's non-compliance to Congress in the coming days. In this context, Gabriel told the national news agency of Germany that 'it seems the U.S. will withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran next week, and this is my biggest concern.' Germany, along with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, forms the group known as the P5+1, which has been engaged in nuclear negotiations with Iran for years under the leadership of the European Union. The outcome of these negotiations, after years of effort, was the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which, in exchange for imposing restrictions on Iran's nuclear program that delay the potential for acquiring nuclear weapons, led to the lifting of related sanctions on Iran. In this regard, the German Foreign Minister emphasized that his country will remain committed to this agreement. He recalled asking American officials, 'What will happen to us if Iran ultimately resorts to developing nuclear weapons?' and stressed that 'nothing.' Gabriel accused the U.S. government of 'substituting the rule of law with the law of force,' adding that 'such a thing would be the greatest threat to us, as if the U.S. adopts this policy, the world will change.' Although many signs indicate that Trump will announce Iran's non-compliance with the JCPOA in the coming days, which could pave the way for the United States' exit from the agreement, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing several American officials, that the U.S. President may maintain the JCPOA while simultaneously calling for stricter oversight of Iran's compliance. If the U.S. government does not confirm Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, the U.S. Congress will have 60 days to decide on reinstating the suspended sanctions against Iran, a decision that could jeopardize the future of the nuclear agreement. Meanwhile, according to the French news agency, American officials insist that declaring Iran's non-compliance does not mean withdrawing from the agreement, but rather paves the way for Congress to potentially take new actions regarding Iran's other behaviors. American officials believe that Iran's 'destructive and destabilizing behaviors,' including insistence on developing a missile program and supporting militia groups in the region, violate the spirit of the nuclear agreement, which anticipates Iran's participation in regional and global peace and stability. In contrast, Iranian officials, rejecting the accusation of violating the spirit of the nuclear agreement, have accused the U.S. of failing to implement the JCPOA and threatened that if the U.S. withdraws from the JCPOA, withdrawal from this agreement will be among Tehran's options.