US Commander in the Middle East and Africa Defends Iran Nuclear Deal

One of the senior commanders of the US Army defended the nuclear agreement with Iran on Tuesday, March 13, stating that this agreement, which Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw from, has played an important role in limiting Iran's nuclear program. According to Reuters, General Joseph Votel, commander of US forces in the Middle East and Africa, said in his report to the Senate Armed Services Committee: "The nuclear agreement with Iran (JCPOA) covers one of the main threats from that country, so if the JCPOA does not exist, we must find another way to deal with Iran's nuclear program." Donald Trump has threatened that if the US Congress and its European allies do not address the weaknesses of the JCPOA with a supplementary agreement, Washington will withdraw from this agreement. Trump opposes several aspects of this agreement, including its time frame. When a senator asked General Votel if he agreed with the position of Jim Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, and General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he replied, "Yes, I agree with their position." The US Secretary of Defense stated last year that the country should remain in the nuclear agreement with Iran unless it is proven that Iran is not fulfilling its commitments under this agreement or if we conclude that the agreement is not in the national interest of the US. General Dunford has also stated that Iran has complied with its commitments under the nuclear agreement and warned that a US withdrawal from this agreement would reduce the likelihood of other countries reaching agreements with the US. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency recently warned Donald Trump that the collapse of the nuclear agreement with Iran would be a "great loss for verification" and defended various aspects of this agreement and the agency's performance within its framework. Since Donald Trump took office, the Iranian government has generally adhered to the limitations of this agreement but has recently warned the US diplomatically. Iran announced on Monday that if the JCPOA fails, it can quickly resume uranium production at a higher concentration. In this context, Yukiya Amano: The failure of the JCPOA is a great loss for verification; Iran's threat to increase uranium enrichment if the US withdraws from the nuclear agreement; General Dunford: Withdrawal from the JCPOA will affect the willingness of others to reach agreements with the US; Salehi: We can resume 20% enrichment within five days; Zarif: If the US withdraws from the JCPOA, we also have the option to exit it; If Trump does not certify the JCPOA...; The US Secretary of Defense emphasizes diplomatic efforts to expose Iran's actions.