Mogherini: No Need for Renegotiation on the JCPOA

One day after the U.S. Secretary of State called for changes to the nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, the European Union's foreign policy chief expressed her opposition to renegotiating the JCPOA, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the agreement. According to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, Federica Mogherini made this statement on Wednesday, September 20, following a meeting of the foreign ministers of the 1+5 group and Iran, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Reports indicate that after the meeting, Mogherini told reporters regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran that "there is no need to renegotiate parts of the agreement because it pertains to a nuclear program and has worked so far." She also stated that the discussions during the 1+5 and Iran meeting were "honest" and that "we all agreed that all parties have adhered to the agreement [with Iran] thus far." Mogherini's comments followed remarks by Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, who stated on Tuesday that if the U.S. is to remain committed to the nuclear agreement with Iran and six world powers, changes must be made. On the same day, Federica Mogherini emphasized in a meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence that "since Iran has adhered to its commitments under the JCPOA according to seven reports from the agency, the full implementation of this agreement by all parties must continue." Mogherini also stated in New York on Monday that the JCPOA was not signed with the U.S. but with the international community and will continue due to Iran's compliance. U.S. President Donald Trump, who describes the JCPOA as "a bad deal," recently stated that he has made a decision regarding the JCPOA but did not disclose what that decision is. Trump has consistently opposed the nuclear agreement made during Barack Obama's presidency. In his first speech at the United Nations, he called the agreement "one-sided" and "a source of shame" for the U.S., emphasizing that "the U.S. will never remain in a one-sided agreement that brings no benefit to this country." He has previously stated that Iran is not adhering to the spirit of the nuclear agreement and continues its "destabilizing actions." Meanwhile, seven Democratic senators have requested that the Trump administration provide any information indicating Iran's non-compliance with the Vienna nuclear agreement to U.S. lawmakers. The White House has until mid-October to confirm whether Iran has complied with the nuclear agreement. If the U.S. President does not confirm this, the U.S. Congress must decide whether to suspend sanctions against Iran again. Trump has confirmed Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement twice so far. Earlier, Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasized in a press conference in New York on Wednesday that "this agreement is not something that anyone can tamper with; it is a structure that will collapse if one brick is pulled out; therefore, American officials must completely erase this issue from their ears and minds forever." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, previously reacted to Trump's views on the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA by stating that "we do not violate the JCPOA, but if the Americans tear it up, we will burn it." The goal of signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was to alleviate global powers' concerns about Iran's nuclear program on one hand, and to lift sanctions imposed against Iran on the other.