On the eve of a Donald Trump speech expected to “decertify” the July 2015 nuclear deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency and European Union have reiterated that Iran is complying with terms of the agreement.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano (pictured) said at a conference in Rome on Monday, “I can state that the nuclear-related commitments undertaken by Iran under the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] are being implemented,” Amano said.
THe EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said yesterday that Iran’s compliance with the deal with the 5+1 Powers [US, UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia] has been verified on at least eight occasions.
She said it was time to “invest in international cooperation” and “open new channels and not destroy the ones we already have”: “[It is] certainly not the time to dismantle them.”
American officials have said that Trump will declare on Thursday that he will not again certify Iranian adherence to the JCPOA, after having done so twice since he became President in January.
However, with US advisors holding him back from further action, Trump will not announce US withdrawal. Instead, he will pass the issue to Congress to decide within 60 days if it wants to reimpose sweeping sanctions.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has told Congressional hearings that legislators should not feel bound to put the restrictions back in place.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters in Berlin on Monday of concern about Trump’s announcement: “We do not want to see this agreement damaged.”
And French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne said any US designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a “terrorist” group could escalate tensions: “In the context of regional instability, France is vigilant on any actions that could exacerbate the current crises.”
