US President Donald Trump has handed the fate of a nuclear deal with Iran to Congress, which is deeply divided on the accord, but he stopped short of calling for the immediate re-imposition of punitive sanctions.
The nuclear deal was signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, Russia, China, Germany, France and the UK and was incorporated into international law by the UN Security Council. Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The agreement stalls the risk of Iranian nuclear proliferation for a decade, boosting international security.
Mr Trump called the Iran nuclear deal an embarrassment to the United States at the annual United Nations gathering last month. He demands new restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme, which he sees as a central flaw of the 2015 accord. He is also determined to stop Tehran’s meddling in the Middle East.
Iran says that its missile programme is solely defensive in nature. Any attempt to renegotiate the 2015 agreement or impose external measures that have a bearing on the accord, are likely to lead Tehran to withdraw from it. If the agreement collapses, Iran will be free to pursue its nuclear programme unfettered.
Under the provisions of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, the sitting administration is required to certify US commitment to the deal every 90 days. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the Iran nuclear deal is formally known, was decertified by Mr Trump on October 13, because, as he said, it was not serving US national security interests. Mr Trump’s decision means that US Congress has 60 days to decide whether to re-impose nuclear-related sanctions.
Refusing to certify the agreement is politically satisfying for Mr Trump, but it could make it harder to resolve growing tensions on the Korean peninsula as Mr Trump has shown that others cannot rely on such agreements, because the US could always unilaterally pull out of deals, which have been signed.
Mr Trump wants Congress to pass measures that would go automatically into effect if the Islamic Republic fails to meet restrictions on its ballistic missile programme and sponsorship of terrorism. Enacting new legislation will require 60 Senate votes, meaning the Trump administration will have to convince eight Democrats.
Iran and European governments staunchly back the nuclear accord, saying that it is working and delivering. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog monitoring Iran’s compliance and inspecting its nuclear facilities, has judged Tehran compliant.
Mr Trump’s aggressive stance on Iran has won plaudits from adversaries of the Islamic Republic such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
A combination of international sanctions and populist policies had pushed Iran into a deep recession in the years preceding the nuclear deal. Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s moderate President, put the accord at the heart of his election campaign earlier this year, pledging to use it to attract foreign investment and re-engage with the outside world. Without economic benefits, particularly Iran’s ability to export oil that underpin Iranian commitment, Mr Rouhani will lose its main argument for curbing the nuclear programme. Mr Trump’s decision, therefore, will only strengthen Iran’s hardliners, who have repeatedly accused Mr Rouhani of being soft in international relations.
Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian
