Trump Reiterates: Iran Has Not Abided by the Spirit of the Nuclear Agreement

On Thursday, October 5, Donald Trump stated once again that Iran has not abided by the spirit of the nuclear agreement. According to Reuters, a senior U.S. official mentioned that Trump will not certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal, effectively leaving the fate of the agreement to Congress. The U.S. President stated before a meeting with defense and senior military officials that Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, as the Iranian government supports terrorism and spreads violence, bloodshed, and chaos throughout the Middle East. Trump emphasized that continuous hostility and Iran's nuclear ambitions must be stopped, and that Iran has not adhered to the spirit of the nuclear agreement, which will be discussed in the meeting. He added that news regarding Iran will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, Trump's remarks during a photo opportunity with U.S. generals have drawn attention, as he referred to the attendees and told reporters, "You know what they call this? Maybe it's the calm before the storm." When asked by reporters if this storm relates to Iran or ISIS, Trump replied that they would find out soon. According to U.S. law, the government must report every 90 days to lawmakers on Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal. A senior U.S. official indicated that Trump will soon announce Iran's non-compliance with the nuclear agreement. This official noted that alongside this decision, Trump will also announce a comprehensive U.S. strategy regarding Iran, which will aim to counter Iran's actions in the region. In this context, senior White House officials stated that Trump is likely moving toward a position that will ultimately lead to the U.S. exiting the nuclear agreement, although some in the U.S. government do not support such an approach. An American official also mentioned that Trump is expected to speak about the U.S. approach to the nuclear agreement on October 12, but no final decision has been made yet. Iran and six world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015. Under this agreement, Iran halted parts of its nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of nuclear sanctions against it. If Trump's administration does not certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, Congress has 60 days to either keep the sanctions suspended or reinstate them. In this context, Reuters reported on the efforts of European ambassadors in Washington to garner congressional support for the JCPOA. Trump is expected to announce his policy regarding the JCPOA on October 12. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that various options regarding the Iranian nuclear agreement will be presented to Trump. The U.S. Secretary of Defense called for conditional support from the Trump administration for the JCPOA, while Germany urged the U.S. to consider a dialogue approach with Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested that Trump is unlikely to certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA.