Statements by the U.S. State Department Spokesperson Regarding Iran's Compliance with the JCPOA and Its Regional Approach

The spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that the U.S. government has confirmed Iran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in a report to Congress, but still believes that some of Iran's actions contradict certain objectives outlined in the agreement regarding participation in establishing regional peace and stability. Heather Nauert's remarks on July 18 came a day after the Trump administration confirmed Iran's adherence to the nuclear deal in its 90-day report but stated that Tehran has acted contrary to the spirit of the agreement. Nauert told reporters, 'We reported to Congress that Iran has been compliant with the JCPOA; however, the United States firmly believes that this country has acted contrary to the spirit of the law in connection with a significant part of it. That part of the JCPOA states that Iran is supposed to participate in establishing peace and stability in the region and globally, and we believe that some actions that the Iranian government has been involved in have undermined the specified objectives regarding regional and international peace and stability.' The spokesperson further added, 'Iran remains - as we all know - one of the most dangerous threats to the United States, not only to our interests here but also globally and to regional stability. And I have a list of various things I can say about Iran's role.' Nauert mentioned issues such as 'the development of ballistic missile programs,' 'support for terrorism and militancy,' 'support for the brutality of the [Bashar al-Assad] regime against its own people,' 'emphasis on hostility toward Israel that has long continued,' 'ongoing threats to freedom of navigation, especially in the Persian Gulf,' and 'cyberattacks against the United States.' According to the State Department spokesperson, these are matters that, 'although not new,' the Trump administration intends to hold Iran accountable for respecting the 'spirit of the nuclear agreement,' as well as regional and international peace and stability. Iran has denied supporting terrorism. Tehran claims that its military intervention in Syria was at the request of that country's government, which still has representation at the United Nations. Iran and Russia are among the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian civil war began following a severe crackdown on largely peaceful protests against Assad's government. There have been confrontations between Iran - specifically the Revolutionary Guards - and the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf. U.S. military officials have repeatedly expressed concern about these confrontations. Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, requesting the Department of Defense to establish a communication line with Iran to avoid accidental conflict with Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. Iran does not recognize Israel and some of its senior officials have spoken about eliminating this country from the map. Just yesterday, hours after the 90-day nuclear confirmation was sent, the U.S. added 18 individuals and entities to its sanctions list for supporting the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile activities. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described these sanctions as 'worthless' and promised to respond in kind.