Donald Trump, with strong criticism of the behavior of the IRGC, stated that he would allow the Treasury Department to impose sanctions on the entire organization. Mr. Trump emphasized that he cannot certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement. He said that if we cannot amend the nuclear agreement in cooperation with Congress and allies, we will terminate it.
Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in response to the U.S. President's position on not certifying Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, reiterated that Tehran is adhering to all its commitments under the JCPOA. In Mr. Amano's statement released on Friday evening, it was noted that the Agency's verification and monitoring activities cover all elements related to the nuclear issue under the JCPOA. The statement emphasized that Iran is currently implementing the Additional Protocol voluntarily, which the Agency claims is a powerful verification tool that gives inspectors greater access to information and sites. Mr. Amano concluded by stating that Iran is under the strongest verification regime in the world.
The President of Iran stated that the Iranian people were not surprised by the U.S. President's remarks tonight, but these words united the nation more, and you cannot create a distance between the people and the government and leader of Iran. He said that all individuals, ethnicities, groups, and religions in Iran are united against enmity. The Iranian people respect the American people but do not accept the wrong and aggressive policies of the U.S. The slogan of the Iranian people is not against the country and people of America, but against these policies. He said that the goal of the U.S. is to prevent us from economic growth and prosperity, but despite the words of American politicians, the Iranian nation will strive even more.
Mr. Rouhani emphasized that as long as our rights are secured and our interests are met, and we benefit from them, we will respect the JCPOA and cooperate with the Agency within the framework of the JCPOA and international treaties, but in the case of the breach of commitments by other countries, we will not hesitate for a moment.
Mr. Rouhani defended the IRGC, calling it a force that is combating terrorism in the region. He stated that the U.S., which possesses nuclear weapons and is the only country that has used nuclear weapons against another nation twice, how can it claim to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons? He added that the Iranian nation is not one to bow down to such words against any power.
Mr. Rouhani stated that the JCPOA is a UN document, not a bilateral document, and no one can unilaterally annul it. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, reacted to the announcement of the new U.S. strategy regarding Iran in a televised speech to the Iranian people just hours after the announcement. He began his remarks by saying that Trump had nothing but "abuse" and "baseless accusations" in his speech, and he urged him to study history, geography, international commitments, and global norms.
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, in a phone conversation with Hassan Rouhani, stated that the European Union and France firmly defend the JCPOA. According to the French newspaper Figaro, Congress has sixty days to decide on the imposition of new sanctions against Iran... New sanctions would destroy the JCPOA. However, other scenarios can also be considered... Just as the U.S. Secretary of Defense has supported the U.S. remaining in the JCPOA, provided that Washington concludes that Iran has adhered to the nuclear agreement and that it is in the interests of the U.S.
Politico writes that even staunch opponents of the JCPOA in Congress, such as Senator Tom Cotton, believe that the time for imposing economic sanctions against Iran has not yet come.