Merkel: The JCPOA is not ideal, but abandoning it is also a mistake

Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, emphasized on Wednesday, May 15, that the nuclear agreement with Iran is "not an ideal agreement" but stated that exiting this agreement under the current circumstances is "a mistake." Speaking in the German parliament, Merkel noted that "we negotiated for over a decade to reach this agreement" and that "the final agreement was unanimously approved by the United Nations Security Council." She stated, "This agreement is by no means an ideal agreement; however, Iran, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, is adhering to its commitments under this agreement." Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced on May 8 that the JCPOA was supposed to "protect the U.S. and its allies from the madness of Iran's nuclear bomb," but this agreement "brought neither peace nor calm." According to Trump, during the time the JCPOA was implemented, "Iran's military budget increased by about 40%" and "while Iran's economy is in very bad shape," the Islamic Republic continued to expand its ballistic missile program and "support terrorism throughout the Middle East and beyond." Nevertheless, the three European countries, including Germany, the UK, and France, while welcoming negotiations on two issues—ballistic missiles and Iran's actions in the region—have emphasized the importance of preserving the JCPOA. In her speech on Wednesday, Merkel asked, "The question is whether you can speak better by ending an agreement or by maintaining it? In our view, it is easier and necessary to continue dialogue with each other." Merkel also stressed that "Iran's ballistic missile program is a threat to Israel's security," and maintaining the JCPOA "does not mean we are satisfied with Iran's actions in other areas (beyond nuclear activities). We need to talk more about issues such as the ballistic missile program and Iran's influence and Hezbollah in Syria." However, Merkel had previously emphasized that Trump's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA should not call into question U.S.-European relations. Merkel's recent statements come a day after Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, along with the foreign ministers of Germany, the UK, and France, held talks with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, in Brussels. After these discussions, Mogherini stated at a press conference that European powers are seeking a solution to preserve the JCPOA and that in the coming weeks, a group of experts will present plans to "protect the interests of European companies that have trade relations with Iran." Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has stated that Tehran will continue its cooperation with the five remaining countries in the nuclear agreement and that if it does not benefit from the JCPOA, it will take appropriate action. However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has expressed distrust towards the Europeans and stated that Iranian parties must obtain "necessary guarantees" from them. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said on Tuesday after meeting with European officials that the negotiations had a "good start" and that the attendees agreed that much work needs to be done in the coming weeks to practically guarantee economic benefits for the Iranian people. Following the announcement of the United States' withdrawal from the JCPOA, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that foreign companies doing business with Iran have a maximum of six months to terminate their contracts with Tehran.