Kerry: Sanctions Alone Could Not Resolve Iran's Nuclear Threat

At the end of his tenure, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a note summarizing his activities over the past years, reiterated his defense of the nuclear agreement and emphasized the need to maintain pressure to prevent Iran's missile program, 'support for terrorism,' or human rights violations. Kerry's 'exit memo,' spanning 21 pages, highlights his priorities during his four years leading the U.S. State Department and his achievements. Among the top priorities was Iran's nuclear program, which ultimately led to an agreement between Tehran, the U.S., and five other powerful countries. Kerry stated that his administration succeeded in leading actions at the United Nations Security Council to pass 'the toughest sanctions in history against Iran,' and with the cooperation of the U.S. Congress, these sanctions expanded with the goal of bringing Iran to the negotiating table. However, Kerry emphasized that sanctions alone could not eliminate the threats posed by Iran's nuclear program: 'Their aim was to test the possibility of negotiations by increasing pressure and ultimately prevent the outbreak of war.' He then referred to the 'hard challenge' awaiting the U.S. government due to the historical lack of trust between the parties: 'After multilateral negotiations lasting two and a half years... we reached an agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement that is verifiable and blocks Iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon.' According to the U.S. Secretary of State, Tehran was only 90 days away from obtaining the necessary materials to build a nuclear bomb, and now it requires at least a year to take such action, while existing transparent oversight will inform us of any potential actions. In Kerry's 'exit memo,' he mentioned the achievements of the nuclear agreement, including the success in underground uranium production or structural changes at the Arak facility, and emphasized that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors oversee 'the entire chain of Iran's nuclear facilities.' The U.S. Secretary of State stated that the JCPOA 'has provided better opportunities and a brighter future for the people of Iran.' He added that the relationship between the two governments remains 'at a high level of hostility,' and Washington must continue to exert pressure to counter Iran's missile program, support for terrorism, human rights violations, and interference in neighboring countries' affairs. Iran has always denied allegations of supporting terrorism. Tehran is openly one of the foreign parties in the Syrian civil war and supports rebels in Yemen, and it has been accused by its neighboring countries, especially Arab states, of 'interference' in their affairs. However, Iran has also pointed fingers at the U.S. and several of its neighboring countries, accusing them of creating insecurity in the region. Iran states that it will continue its missile program, which its officials claim has 'defensive objectives.' John Kerry ultimately emphasizes that the nuclear agreement 'eliminated a major global threat without firing a shot.' Kerry's defense of the nuclear agreement in his four-year performance summary comes as one of the staunch critics of this agreement is set to take over the U.S. government in less than two weeks. Donald Trump described the Iran nuclear agreement as 'the worst' deal he has ever seen during his campaign: 'I have long been good with numbers. I know how to make a deal. Let me tell you; this [nuclear] deal is catastrophic.' In his 'exit memo,' Kerry also referred to other work priorities that faced success or failure. He named North Korea's nuclear threats as 'one of the most dangerous threats facing the country' and defended the Paris climate agreement and the need for global leadership in using clean energy. Kerry also expressed regret over the lack of cooperation among parties in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. This memo does not mention the recent resolution against Israeli settlements, a resolution that the U.S. did not veto and was unprecedentedly passed in recent decades. This is another subject that has drawn severe criticism from Donald Trump, the incoming U.S. President. Kerry and members of the Obama administration will hand over their positions to the new government on January 20. Trump's proposed replacement for John Kerry at the State Department is Rex Tillerson.