Macron: I believe Trump will withdraw from the JCPOA

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, stated on Wednesday, April 24, that Donald Trump, the President of the United States, will withdraw from the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA, which was made between Iran and six world powers. According to CBS News, Macron, who is on a three-day visit to Washington, expressed at George Washington University: "I don't know what your president will decide, but I think he will free himself from this agreement for domestic issues." In response to a question about whether Trump would exit the JCPOA, he confirmed: "Yes, that is my view. I have no specific information because I am not an insider. I think it is a big risk for him to leave this (agreement)." However, Macron described the withdrawal from the JCPOA as a "mistake" but stated that France and other countries must prepare for it. He also mentioned that he would call Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss the next round of diplomatic negotiations. Earlier on Wednesday, Macron told members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate that France would not exit the JCPOA because it signed it. He added: "It is true that this agreement may not address all concerns and very important issues, but we should not abandon it without having a strong and very solid agreement to replace it. That is my position." Meanwhile, during a joint press conference with his American counterpart, Macron reiterated his opposition to the destruction of the nuclear agreement with Iran, the JCPOA, but called for a new agreement that "addresses all concerns." He specified that he seeks an agreement that includes four issues: first, preventing any nuclear activity by Iran until 2025, which has been achieved due to the JCPOA; second, ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear activities in the long term; third, stopping Iran's ballistic missile activities in the region; and fourth, creating conditions for a political solution to contain Iran in the region, particularly in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. Trump reiterated his previous positions during the press conference, stating: "I hold many responsible for this bad agreement, including the U.S. Congress and many others, and this agreement should never have been made. But I say if Iran threatens us, they will pay a price that very few countries in the world have paid." Trump has set a deadline of May 12 for the "deficiencies of the JCPOA" to be corrected; otherwise, he will not extend the suspension of sanctions against Iran under the JCPOA. Trump has outlined four conditions for the U.S. to continue its participation in the JCPOA: "immediate access" for international inspectors to all Iranian sites and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's ballistic missile program. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in an interview published by the Associated Press on Wednesday, stated that if the U.S. exits the JCPOA, Iran might withdraw from the NPT.