Tillerson Dismisses Negative Impact of U.S. Decision on JCPOA on North Korea Engagement

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reiterated the weaknesses of the JCPOA on Sunday, rejecting the negative impact of the new U.S. strategy towards Iran on pursuing a diplomatic solution to the North Korean crisis. In recent days, ahead of the announcement of the new U.S. strategy towards Iran, some U.S. allies, including Germany and France, warned that a potential U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran could undermine efforts to encourage North Korea to resolve its nuclear crisis through dialogue. However, on Sunday, October 15, Mr. Tillerson stated in an interview with CNN that from his perspective, North Korea should interpret the new U.S. strategy towards Iran as the U.S. seeking a demand-driven agreement with that country. He added that the key point, which truly fulfills not only U.S. goals but also the objectives of China and other regional countries, is the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and if we achieve this goal, we will not shy away from anything as our objective will be realized. The U.S. Secretary of State had previously stated that there are direct communication channels between the U.S. and North Korea, and Washington is assessing North Korea's willingness to resolve the crisis through dialogue. These remarks later came under the shadow of statements from the U.S. President, who asserted that he reminded his Secretary of State that efforts to negotiate with North Korea are a 'waste of time' and that previous U.S. administrations' attempts to negotiate with this country have been fruitless for 25 years. However, on Sunday, Mr. Tillerson, in response to a question on this matter, said that the U.S. President 'has clearly asked him to continue diplomatic efforts and that these efforts will continue until the first bomb drops.' He added that 'the President clearly told me that he wants to solve the problem diplomatically' and emphasized that Donald Trump 'is not seeking war.' Addressing a 'broader range' of threats from Iran, another part of Mr. Tillerson's remarks on Sunday during the CNN interview focused on Iran and the new U.S. strategy in this regard, under which the Trump administration announced Iran's non-compliance with the nuclear agreement. Mr. Tillerson stated that 'what the President wants is a more comprehensive strategy to address the issue of Iran in its entirety.' He clarified that 'for a long time, specifically the previous U.S. administration defined its relationship with Iran around the nuclear agreement, an agreement that has flaws and weaknesses.' The U.S. Secretary of State emphasized that due to these flaws, 'the President even during his campaign stressed that he would change this agreement or renegotiate it, simply stating that he would fix these flaws or we would have to have another agreement.' Mr. Tillerson added that 'I believe his decision is based on this new strategy.' He stressed that 'now we want to confront the weaknesses of the nuclear agreement but we really need to address a broader range of threats posed by Iran in the region against our friends and allies that could be a threat to our national security.' The temporary nature of parts of the nuclear agreement, Iran's financial benefits from this agreement, the failure of the agreement to prevent missile tests, the limited ability of inspectors to monitor Iranian sites, and Iran's non-compliance with the spirit of the JCPOA are among the major grievances of Donald Trump regarding the nuclear agreement, all of which were emphasized in his speech on Friday outlining the new strategy towards Iran. In this regard, Mr. Trump warned that if we cannot address the flaws of the JCPOA in cooperation with Congress and our allies, we will withdraw from it. Congress now has a 60-day opportunity to express its opinion on the possibility of reinstating sanctions against Iran, and part of this process is an initiative that two Republican senators, Bob Corker and Tom Cotton, have on their agenda. They are expected to present a legislative draft in the next two weeks that, while maintaining the JCPOA, will amend some of its flaws, including the expiration of the time-limited restrictions set forth in the JCPOA, known as 'sunset.'