Trump's Decision to Extend Iran's Waiver from Nuclear Sanctions Based on JCPOA

Several reports in American media indicate that the U.S. President has decided to extend the Islamic Republic's waiver from nuclear sanctions under the nuclear agreement, JCPOA. News agencies Reuters and Bloomberg, along with the New York Times, reported on Thursday night, January 21, citing sources close to the White House, that Donald Trump will announce this decision on Friday. The Trump administration must decide by January 23 whether it intends to extend the suspension of sanctions under the nuclear agreement with Iran. This extension occurs every 120 days. The U.S. President extended the suspension of Iran's nuclear sanctions on September 14 of this year. The nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, namely the U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia, and Germany, was reached in 2015, and based on a congressional resolution, the U.S. President must report to Congress every 90 days on Iran's compliance with the JCPOA. As the previous deadline approached in October, Donald Trump refrained from certifying Iran's compliance. This action raised concerns that the United States, as a party to the JCPOA, might withdraw, ultimately leading to the collapse of the nuclear agreement. Mr. Trump believes that Iran's continued missile activities and the Islamic Republic's regional policies are 'inconsistent with the spirit of the nuclear agreement.' He has also expressed concern about the 'sunset clause' in the nuclear agreement, which pertains to the lifting of restrictions after a certain period of the nuclear deal with Iran, raising fears that 'Iran could achieve the capability to build nuclear weapons even before the agreement ends.' In this context, it is reported that the U.S. government and Congress are seeking to eliminate this 'sunset clause,' which would dismantle oversight and restrictions on Iran's nuclear program. According to reports, Mr. Trump reached this decision after a meeting with his senior advisors at the White House to temporarily extend the suspension of sanctions against the Islamic Republic based on the nuclear agreement. At the same time, according to media reports in the U.S., the President is expected to introduce new sanctions against the Islamic Republic while continuing the suspension of these sanctions. Previously, the U.S. Treasury Secretary had commented on this issue. According to Reuters, Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary in the Trump administration, told reporters on Thursday that he expects new sanctions against Iran to be imposed. He added, 'We are still monitoring them. We have prepared sanctions, and I think you can expect new sanctions to arrive.' Additionally, the New York Times reported on Thursday that Mr. Trump is likely to set a deadline for both the U.S. Congress and its European allies to either change the JCPOA 'in a way he wants' or he will withdraw from the agreement. Since murmurs of the U.S. President's opposition to the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA began, Europeans have launched a campaign and insisted on their support for this agreement in Europe and the U.S. In this context, several European officials reiterated their support for the JCPOA after a meeting with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, on Thursday. European officials at this meeting, which concluded on Thursday, January 21, emphasized the importance of preserving the JCPOA while noting that Iran's ballistic missile program and Tehran's role in the region are 'concerning,' but 'should be discussed within a different framework.'