U.S. State Department Emphasizes 'Countering All Threats from Iran'

Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, emphasized on Tuesday the Trump administration's commitment to 'countering all threats from Iran' in response to a question about President Rouhani's warning regarding a return to pre-JCPOA conditions. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated in the parliament on Tuesday, August 15, that Iran remains committed to the JCPOA and addressed the U.S. government, saying, 'They should know that the experience of failed sanctions and impositions ultimately brought their past governments to the negotiating table, and if they wish to return to those experiences, certainly Iran will return in a very short time—not in terms of weeks and months, but in terms of hours and days—to a much more advanced situation than at the start of negotiations.' Iran and six world powers reached an agreement on the 'Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action' (JCPOA) in July 2015 in Vienna. Under this agreement, Iran suspended many of its nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension or lifting of international nuclear sanctions against it. However, since Donald Trump took office, the U.S. has imposed new sanctions on the Islamic Republic due to what it describes as Iran's 'destabilizing behaviors' that contradict the spirit of the nuclear deal. The U.S. also believes that since the nuclear agreement stipulates Iran's participation in creating peace and stability regionally and globally, some of Iran's actions that undermine regional and international peace and stability violate the spirit of this agreement. Heather Nauert reiterated the emphasis on these 'destabilizing behaviors' but refrained from directly responding to Rouhani's threat in parliament. According to Nauert, the Trump administration is committed to 'countering all threats from Iran, not just in the region but worldwide, including the development of ballistic missiles by Iran.' During the press briefing, she also avoided answering a question about Iran's adherence to the 'text' of the JCPOA. She further explained, 'We still believe what Iran is doing is a factor of instability, and the JCPOA does not address all destabilizing activities.' During the press conference, a reporter asked Nauert for her opinion on the UN Secretary-General's remarks on Tuesday, but she described commenting on that as outside her responsibility. According to the reporter, the UN Secretary-General stated on Tuesday, 'We should not turn our backs on the JCPOA in any way.' On the same day, Nikki Haley, the U.S. representative to the UN, reacted to Rouhani's statements about exiting the nuclear agreement, stating that Iran should be held accountable for its missile tests, support for terrorism, human rights violations, and violations of Security Council resolutions. According to Reuters, Haley's comments were a response to the Iranian President's warning in parliament that if the U.S. violates the JCPOA, Iran will return to the pre-agreement status within hours. Security Council Resolution 2231, issued after the Vienna nuclear agreement to endorse it, calls on Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran asserts that its missile tests do not contradict the nuclear agreement, stating that 'the tested missiles were not tested for carrying nuclear warheads.'