Moscow Will Urge Washington Not to Withdraw from the JCPOA

In response to the negative views and criticisms of Donald Trump's administration regarding the nuclear deal with Iran, Russia's representative to the United Nations stated on Friday, September 15, that Moscow's message to Washington at the upcoming JCPOA commission meeting will be to not "withdraw from the JCPOA." During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA and even stated that he would abandon it if he won. Although the agreement has remained intact since his victory, and the U.S. government has confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA several times, Trump's administration continues to assert that some of Iran's destabilizing behaviors in the region contradict the "spirit" of the nuclear agreement. The evidence cited by U.S. officials regarding Iran's destabilizing and destructive behaviors includes "Iran's role in escalating conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon," and "support for attacks on Israel," with the U.S. identifying Iran as the "largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world." In this context, the U.S. representative for international disarmament emphasized on Friday that "if you consider Iran's missile activities, its support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, and its assistance to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Palestinian group Hamas, or their support for Houthi rebels in Yemen, we believe that Iran has not adhered to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement at all." Meanwhile, alongside these criticisms, America's partners in the nuclear agreement, particularly in recent weeks, have been trying to encourage Trump's administration to remain in the JCPOA and remind it of its benefits. For instance, the British Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA during a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State in London on Thursday, September 14. According to Reuters, in her brief meeting with Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, Ms. May highlighted the crucial role of this agreement in "preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." In this regard, Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's representative to the UN, has also emphasized that in the possible meeting next week in New York, Moscow will convey the message to Washington not to withdraw from the JCPOA. He stated on Friday: "This is not just our message; other partners and those outside [the JCPOA] are also trying to convey the same message." The representative from Moscow refers to the possible upcoming meeting of the JCPOA commission, consisting of the P5+1 group plus Iran, which is likely to convene in New York to discuss recent developments. The Iranian Foreign Minister is expected to travel to New York next week alongside President Hassan Rouhani, leading a high-level delegation to participate in the annual UN General Assembly. It is anticipated that, as in the previous year, a meeting regarding Iran's nuclear agreement with the P5+1, known as the JCPOA, will also be held on the sidelines of this assembly, and since the foreign ministers of all the countries involved in this assembly will be present, there is a possibility that the nuclear meeting will be held at the ministerial level. However, according to statements from two senior officials in the Trump administration, this meeting is likely to be influenced by Donald Trump's first speech at the UN, which is scheduled for Tuesday of this week. According to Nikki Haley, the U.S. representative to the UN, and H.R. McMaster, the National Security Advisor to the President, Trump's focus in this speech will be on America's friends and enemies. Ms. Haley has named North Korea and Iran as America's enemies. The 72nd UN General Assembly will commence on Tuesday, September 19, with the participation of leaders from most countries around the world in New York and will continue until October 1.