Haley: The U.S. Will Remain in the JCPOA for Now but Seeks a Proportional Response to Iran's Actions

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, emphasized on Sunday that her country will currently remain in the nuclear agreement with Iran, but the Trump administration is seeking a 'proportional response' to Iran's actions on a global scale. In an interview with the 'Meet the Press' program on NBC television on Sunday, October 15, Haley stated, 'I think you see that we will stay in the agreement for now because we are hopeful for improvement in the current situation, and that is a goal for us.' The U.S. Ambassador to the UN referred to concerns regarding Iran's ballistic missile program, the sale of weapons by the country, and state-sponsored terrorism. She stressed that the United States is examining the Iran nuclear agreement due to rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program, asserting, 'What we are saying now is that we cannot allow Iran to become another North Korea.' On Sunday, the U.S. Ambassador also stated in an interview with ABC News that 'we must hold them accountable.' She added, 'They cannot continue to support terrorism around the world as is evident. They cannot continue to test ballistic missiles that could lead to a nuclear Iran. They cannot continue to traffic weapons.' Haley noted that other countries are turning a blind eye to these Iranian behaviors to 'protect' the nuclear agreement. President Donald Trump outlined his administration's new strategy regarding Iran on Friday, which includes placing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the U.S. sanctions list, and the government refrained from re-certifying Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement. Trump stated that based on credible information he has received, he is unable to certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA and warned that if we do not succeed in finding a solution with Congress and our allies, we will terminate this agreement. Congress now has a 60-day window to decide on the possibility of reinstating sanctions against Iran, although Senator Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is expected to introduce a bill to address some of the JCPOA's shortcomings, including the expiration of time-limited restrictions, known as 'sunset clauses,' and he claims such legislation does not violate the JCPOA. Under the nuclear agreement reached in July 2015 between Iran and world powers 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 reinstate some of these sanctions could jeopardize the future of the JCPOA. The temporary nature of parts of the nuclear agreement, Iran's financial benefits 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. In this context, the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain, three European countries involved in the nuclear negotiations, stated in a statement that they share concerns about Iran's missile program and destabilizing behaviors and are ready to find solutions for them, but at the same time warned against actions that could harm the nuclear agreement, including the reinstatement of sanctions. Germany's Foreign Minister warned yesterday about the potential for increased tension in the Middle East and the empowerment of hardliners in Iran if the nuclear agreement is terminated or new sanctions are imposed. The French Foreign Minister also stated on Saturday that we are ready to consider the American side's grievances but expressed hope that Congress, which now has the responsibility for deciding the future of the JCPOA, does not pave the way for the termination of this 'powerful and coherent' agreement.