Russia Expresses Hope for Trump's 'Balanced' Decision on Remaining in the JCPOA

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, has expressed hope that the U.S. President will make a 'balanced' decision regarding staying in the agreement between Iran and global powers to limit Iran's nuclear program. Mr. Lavrov, who is visiting Kazakhstan, told reporters on Friday, October 6, that 'it is very important for this agreement to be maintained in its current form, and U.S. participation will be a significant factor in this regard.' Under the agreement reached in July 2015 and implemented in January 2016, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from harsh sanctions related to the nuclear program. This agreement was made between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council along with Germany, coordinated by the European Union, although its approval in Iran and the United States followed a different path than in other countries. In both countries, the legislative body reviewed this agreement, but while the Iranian Parliament ultimately approved the JCPOA, in the U.S., the agreement was implemented without a vote in Congress, and the U.S. government was required to report to Congress every 90 days on Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement. Although Donald Trump has been a staunch opponent of this agreement since his presidential campaign, his administration has so far confirmed Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement to Congress twice, but it is expected that in the coming weeks, with the end of the 90-day deadline, a different path will be taken. In this regard, Reuters reported that a senior White House official said on Thursday that Mr. Trump is expected to soon announce his decision not to certify [Iran's compliance]. This decision could lead to the U.S. withdrawal from this agreement. The U.S. President, who believes the JCPOA is 'the worst deal ever negotiated,' recently described it as 'a source of shame' for America, and officials in his administration also believe that the JCPOA is a flawed agreement. Mr. Trump reiterated on Thursday that Iran has not adhered to the spirit of the nuclear agreement. Trump administration officials have repeatedly blamed Iran for pursuing ballistic missile programs and supporting militia groups in regional countries, considering these 'destructive and destabilizing behaviors' to be in contradiction with the spirit of the nuclear agreement, which is based on Iran's participation in regional and global peace and stability. Recently, General McMaster, Trump's National Security Advisor, emphasized that the JCPOA 'is fundamentally flawed' and stated that the U.S. President 'looks at the entire situation of Iran in his decision regarding the JCPOA, not just Iran's nuclear program.' Meanwhile, some senior officials in Trump's administration are calling for a conditional certification of Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, including U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis; he recently expressed in a Senate hearing that 'the JCPOA is in the interest of America' and emphasized that 'if we can conclude that this (agreement) better serves our interests, it is clear that we should remain in it.' CNN also reported that according to congressional Democrats, General McMaster does not believe that declaring Iran's non-compliance with the nuclear agreement is the right move. Earlier this summer, when the Trump administration confirmed Iran's compliance with the JCPOA for the second time, Foreign Policy reported, citing several American officials, that the U.S. President, dissatisfied with his State Department's actions regarding the JCPOA, had asked a group of trusted White House staff to prepare a 'potential case' to prove Iran's non-compliance with the JCPOA text in the upcoming 90-day deadline. If the U.S. government does not certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, the U.S. Congress will have 60 days to decide on reinstating the suspended sanctions against Iran. Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Thursday that the ambassadors of France, Germany, and the UK, along with the EU ambassador in Washington, have launched new efforts to garner support from U.S. Congress members for the nuclear agreement with Iran.