Pence: The U.S. Will No Longer Endorse the Disastrous Nuclear Deal with Iran

Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, stated on Thursday, February 22, that Washington will no longer tolerate Iran's destabilizing behavior in the region. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Pence elaborated on the achievements of Donald Trump's administration both domestically and internationally. He also addressed Washington's approach towards North Korea and Iran. Pence warned that the U.S. has alerted the primary state sponsor of terrorism, asserting that the United States will no longer tolerate Iran's destabilizing activities in the region. The U.S. continues to consider Iran the most prominent state sponsor of terrorism, accusing it of providing advice, financial assistance, advanced equipment, and new tactics to terrorist groups across the Middle East. Pence emphasized that the U.S. will no longer endorse the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran. Previously, President Trump had repeatedly labeled the JCPOA as the 'worst' deal in U.S. history and called for its amendment. On January 12, he announced that it would be the last time he would issue a waiver on the suspension of nuclear sanctions against Iran, stating that the 'disastrous' flaws in the nuclear agreement must be corrected within 120 days. Trump set four conditions for the U.S. to continue its participation in the JCPOA: 'immediate access' for international inspectors to all Iranian sites and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's long-range missile program; as Trump stated, the long-range missile program and Iran's nuclear weapons program are 'inseparable.' Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, also announced on January 27 that joint working groups of the European Union and the U.S. have begun to address these flaws. Iranian officials have stated they are not willing to negotiate on this matter and will not accept any changes to the JCPOA. Reuters reported on Sunday that the U.S. State Department is negotiating with Europeans to reach a supplementary agreement that would cover the development and testing of Iran's long-range missiles and ensure rigorous inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, while also addressing the shortcomings of the 'sunset clause.' According to the 'sunset clause,' after 10 years, Iran can increase its enrichment centrifuges, and after 15 years, it is allowed to increase its stock of low-enriched uranium. Abbas Araghchi, Deputy Foreign Minister, also stated on Thursday that if the JCPOA does not yield economic benefits for Iran and major banks continue to refrain from trading with the Islamic Republic, Tehran will withdraw from the agreement. According to IRNA, Araghchi clarified: 'From Iran's perspective, the JCPOA has not been successful, as we have not seen its economic results due to the incomplete lifting of sanctions. The U.S. violates the JCPOA on a daily basis.' He further described the remarks of the U.S. President and other officials regarding 'tearing up' the JCPOA as a violation of its spirit and text. The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized: 'In our view, this treaty cannot continue under these conditions. If banks and other companies cannot work with us, we cannot remain in an agreement that brings us no benefit.' Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany, reached an agreement in July 2015 to resolve Iran's nuclear program and lift international sanctions against it. Under this agreement, the JCPOA, Iran agreed to halt many of its nuclear activities. Meanwhile, Tillerson had previously stated that from Washington's perspective, the nuclear agreement with Iran is only a 'small' part of U.S. policy towards the Middle East, and the U.S. has greater concerns regarding other issues, including Tehran's support for the Houthis in Yemen and Iran's supply of weapons to other militant groups in the region. Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, emphasized on Tuesday, naming the existing crises in the Middle East, that the Iranian government is the source of most problems in the region. In this context, the International Atomic Energy Agency once again 'confirmed' Iran's compliance with the JCPOA.