Tillerson Calls for Iran's 'Compliance with the JCPOA' to be Announced by Trump Administration

The American newspaper Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, September 21, about a disagreement between Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and his Secretary of State regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran, the JCPOA. According to the newspaper, Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, and several other officials have suggested to Mr. Trump that he should first confirm Iran's compliance with the terms of the JCPOA and then seek to make changes to it. In contrast, at least one Republican senator, Tom Cotton, who has been a staunch opponent of the JCPOA since Barack Obama's presidency, urged the U.S. President in an interview on Thursday to first reject Iran's compliance and then propose new conditions. According to an agreement reached between six world powers, including the U.S., and Iran in July 2015, the U.S. State Department is required to inform Congress every 90 days whether the Islamic Republic has adhered to the terms of the JCPOA. In line with this agreement, the Trump administration confirmed in a letter to Congress on July 18 that Iran has remained compliant with the JCPOA, although it has acted contrary to its 'spirit.' Mr. Trump himself has been a strong opponent of the nuclear deal with Iran and has never hesitated to criticize it. Most recently, during his first speech at the United Nations this week, he again called the JCPOA 'a source of shame' for America. While the disagreement between him and his Secretary of State on this issue is not new, the latest report from the Wall Street Journal indicates that Rex Tillerson has somewhat aligned with the President's position. Earlier, the magazine Foreign Policy reported in late July, citing three sources 'close to the White House,' that Donald Trump was dissatisfied with his Secretary of State regarding the JCPOA. The magazine noted that the U.S. President, following this dissatisfaction, 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 period. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Tillerson and several other officials believe that Trump should remain committed to the JCPOA and also confirm Iran's compliance, but then call for changes that address 'U.S. concerns.' Tehran is accused of repeatedly conducting ballistic missile tests, which can be used to carry nuclear warheads, despite UN Security Council Resolution 2231. This resolution, issued after the Vienna nuclear agreement to endorse it, asks Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran argues that its missile tests are not in violation of the nuclear agreement, asserting that 'the tested missiles were not designed to carry nuclear warheads.' In this context, according to the Wall Street Journal, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, stated on Wednesday that Western governments should open a new round of negotiations with the Islamic Republic, this time regarding Iran's ballistic missile program. According to Mr. Macron, then the West can consider the option of further sanctions in response to ballistic tests. This, in the view of the French President and his European partners, is a better way than abandoning the JCPOA, which could lead the Islamic Republic to pursue new nuclear activities. In this context, one day after the U.S. Secretary of State called for changes to the nuclear agreement, Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, emphasized the importance of maintaining this agreement and expressed her opposition to renegotiating the JCPOA. Among the six countries that reached an agreement with Iran regarding the JCPOA, currently, only the U.S. has criticized it since Donald Trump took office and called for at least changes to it. However, Mr. Trump has confirmed Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement twice so far.