McMaster: Trump Looks at the JCPOA in a 'Broader Context'

H.R. McMaster, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated in an interview with CNN that the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is "fundamentally flawed" and added that the U.S. President "looks at the entire situation in Iran regarding the JCPOA, not just its nuclear program." This interview took place on Thursday, September 21, just before the announcement of new sanctions by President Donald Trump against North Korea. The National Security Advisor mentioned that the JCPOA has "already given all the benefits to the Iranian regime," and he noted, "Another issue is the incompleteness of the agreement... which may indeed provide cover for the regime [Iran] to develop its nuclear program." These remarks come as various Iranian officials and representatives from the P5+1 countries have repeatedly emphasized that the JCPOA contains necessary guarantees to prevent Iran from moving towards militarizing its nuclear program. In response to the question, "Isn't the JCPOA only related to concerns about Iran's nuclear program?" McMaster said, "We have a comprehensive view of this issue." He added that "the difference in the President's approach to this issue is that he does not just look at the agreement with Iran; he has made his decision regarding the agreement based on a broader context." The National Security Advisor further explained that "this broader context includes how we protect American citizens and U.S. interests and how we protect our allies and partners from the wide range of destabilizing behavior of Iran." He referred to examples of what he called "Iran's destabilizing behavior," including "threats against Israel and establishing a secret network of destructive weapons from Gaza to Lebanon and Syria and Yemen and Iraq." The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects the characterization of its policies as destabilizing in the region and, in turn, accuses the U.S. and its allies of similar accusations. In the interview, McMaster discussed President Trump's potential decision to withdraw the U.S. from the JCPOA, stating, "I know what the decision is, but when the President announces it and speaks about it, he will explain his decision in the context of the broader approach we have towards Iran." On Wednesday, September 20, Trump stated that he had made his decision regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran but postponed announcing it for a later time. Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, said on Tuesday that if the U.S. is to remain committed to the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers, changes must be made to it. These remarks have not been welcomed by Iranian officials or the EU's foreign policy chief. Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated in an interview with The New York Times that the JCPOA is non-negotiable, and any such negotiation would be contingent on returning to all conditions prior to the nuclear talks. Zarif mentioned that in that case, the 10 tons of uranium that Iran sent to Russia after signing the JCPOA should be returned to Iran. According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, if the U.S. wants to add an amendment to the JCPOA, Iran also demands a renegotiation of all the terms of this agreement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rejected any renegotiation of the JCPOA before leaving New York on Wednesday. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, previously responded to Trump's views on the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA by saying, "We do not violate the JCPOA, but if the Americans tear it up, we will burn it." The goal of signing the JCPOA was to alleviate global powers' concerns about Iran's nuclear program on one hand and to lift the sanctions imposed against Iran on the other. In this context, Haley stated that leaving the JCPOA would not damage America's credibility, while Mogherini asserted that there is no need for renegotiation of the JCPOA. The meeting between Tillerson and Zarif at the P5+1 ministers' meeting, and Democratic senators calling for the Trump administration to provide information on "Iran's violations of the JCPOA" were also noted. Trump stated, "I have made my decision regarding the JCPOA," and McMaster indicated that U.S. allies would support potential sanctions against Iran.