Trump Reiterates Iran's Violation of the 'Spirit' of the JCPOA and 'Creating Problems in the Middle East'

The President of the United States expressed 'great dissatisfaction' in an interview regarding what he calls Iran's violation of the spirit of the JCPOA and Iran's 'problematic' behavior in the region, stating that his decision regarding the nuclear agreement will be revealed 'in the coming days.' On October 7, Donald Trump reiterated his criticisms of the nuclear agreement between the U.S., five world powers, and Iran, as well as Tehran's actions, during an interview on the Mike Huckabee television program. Trump has refrained from clearly stating what decision he has made and executed, saying 'in the coming days, precisely in a week and a half, you will see exactly' what decision has been made. The U.S. President's reference is to the deadline by which the U.S. government must submit its report to Congress regarding the confirmation or non-confirmation of the implementation of the nuclear agreement. U.S. government reports to Congress must be submitted every 90 days, and Washington has issued these confirmations since the beginning of Trump's presidency. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Union, and other negotiating parties with Iran regarding its nuclear program have also confirmed that Tehran has adhered to its commitments under the JCPOA. However, the U.S. President has long insisted that Iran is violating the 'spirit' of the JCPOA, continuing actions that destabilize the Middle East and engaging in activities such as ballistic missile tests. Tehran, on the other hand, has always emphasized that these tests are not contrary to the nuclear agreement and does not intend to stop them, as their goal is to develop a missile program for defensive purposes. In the interview with Huckabee, Trump stated, 'I must say I am very dissatisfied with the [nuclear] agreement. I am very dissatisfied with [Iran's] behavior and methods... Iran is a bad player. Dealing with them will be like dealing with a bad player.' He added, 'The spirit of the JCPOA is certainly not in place... They are exactly creating problems, mainly in the Middle East.' Sarah Sanders, the White House spokesperson, announced on Friday, October 6, that the U.S. President will consider all of Iran's behaviors, including missile tests, 'support for terrorism,' and cyberattacks, as part of determining a new strategy toward Iran. These statements follow reports indicating that the U.S. government may not send its confirmation to Congress in the coming days; for example, a Reuters report cited a senior U.S. official stating that Trump will not issue a confirmation of Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement with six world powers, effectively leaving the fate of the JCPOA to Congress. The White House spokesperson also stated that the Trump administration is working to adopt a comprehensive strategy to address various issues from 'destabilizing the region' to 'state-sponsored terrorism' and 'missile tests.' On the other hand, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, on October 7, stated in a speech that the nuclear agreement has provided Tehran with 'irreversible benefits.' Rouhani said, 'We reached matters and benefits in the JCPOA that are irreversible. No one can reverse it, neither Mr. Trump nor anyone else; even if 10 more Trumps come into existence, they are irreversible.' The Iranian Foreign Minister had previously stated that Iran has made decisions in case the nuclear agreement is not confirmed by the U.S. government and is currently assessing the situation and the reactions of other parties, including the European Union and the U.S. Congress. The nuclear agreement between the Obama administration, Russia, China, the UK, Germany, France, the EU representative, and Iran was reached on July 14, 2015, in Vienna, Austria. Nuclear negotiations began in 2002 after the disclosure of the dimensions of Iran's nuclear program at the Natanz and Arak facilities, with the U.S. and its allies accusing Iran of attempting to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies.