Obama's Representative: Iran's Behavior in Syria Has Not Changed After JCPOA

Brett McGurk, Obama's special representative for the fight against the Islamic State, stated on Tuesday that no significant change has been observed in Iran's behavior in Syria and Iraq following the nuclear agreement. According to Reuters, McGurk made this remark during a session in the U.S. Senate on July 8, indicating that in the year since the signing of the JCPOA, he has not witnessed any change in Iran's actions, which continue to support Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. McGurk also noted that Iran's behavior in Iraq has not changed much, as the Islamic Republic continues to support certain Shiite militia groups in the country. This high-ranking U.S. official's comments somewhat contradict a recent assessment by another senior official in the administration. While McGurk pointed to Iran's support for Shiite militias in Iraq, Secretary of State John Kerry assessed Iran's presence in Iraq on the same day as beneficial in some respects. Kerry stated in a speech on July 8 that Iran's focus in Iraq is on fighting the Islamic State, implying that Iran and the U.S. have common interests, which is advantageous for the U.S. Meanwhile, the U.S. has cited Iran's financial support for Hezbollah in Lebanon as one reason for keeping Iran on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. On July 7, the White House spokesperson noted that Iran's continued assistance to Hezbollah would prevent Iran from resolving its issues in accessing international markets. Hassan Nasrallah stated on July 5 that all financial resources, missiles, and rockets for the group are provided directly by Iran. Iran has never denied its financial support for Hezbollah.