Trump and Merkel Discuss Iran's Missile Program in Phone Call

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, during a phone call on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, discussed various topics including Iran's missile program, the activities of the Islamic Republic in the Middle East, and issues related to North Korea. On Thursday, October 6, Trump congratulated Merkel on her victory in the recent elections and wished her success in forming her fourth government. A statement released on the White House website regarding this phone call stated that the two sides discussed ways to counter 'Iran's malign activities in the Middle East.' The statement added that the leaders of the U.S. and Germany then addressed the nuclear program issue and referred to Iran's missile program and its non-compliance with relevant United Nations resolutions. The Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasized that its missile development program is a separate issue from the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) signed with Western powers. However, the Trump administration believes that Iran's continued missile activities 'contradict the spirit of the nuclear agreement,' an accusation that Iran similarly directs at the U.S. regarding the JCPOA. In this context, when Iran announced on the first of Mehr that it had tested a missile with a range of two thousand kilometers, Trump reacted with a tweet referencing the JCPOA, stating: 'Iran has now tested a ballistic missile that can reach Israel. They are working with North Korea; what a deal we have!' Iran had previously been subjected to U.S. sanctions in February of last year regarding the test of the same missile, referred to as the Khorramshahr missile, although the validity of Iran's recent missile test has since been questioned by the U.S. and Israel. Trump recently stated that he has made a decision regarding his country's continued commitment to the JCPOA but will announce this decision at a later time. Despite Trump's criticisms of the JCPOA, according to AFP, Merkel reiterated her support for the agreement during her phone call with Trump on Friday, stating that 'the nuclear agreement is an important tool in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.' Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated on October 6 to Al Jazeera in New York that if the U.S. withdraws from the JCPOA, Iran also has this option and other options available. The goal of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in July 2015 between Iran and six world powers including the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the UK along with Germany, was to alleviate concerns from these countries regarding the Islamic Republic's access to nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against Iran. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has previously stated that 'we do not violate the JCPOA,' but if the Americans 'tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it.' In this context, Zarif: If the U.S. exits the JCPOA, we also have the option to exit it. Israeli security agencies: Iran has not conducted a missile test. Zarif's criticism of Trump's tweet regarding Iran's missile test.