Trump Reportedly Plans to 'Decertify' Iran Nuclear Deal

[Ender]

And, here we go....


President Trump will announce next week that he will "decertify" the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

An administration source pushed back on the report to Fox News, saying that a decision on the agreement was "not fully baked."

During a briefing with senior military leaders Thursday, Trump said Iran had "not lived up to the spirit of the agreement" and added the U.S. "must put an end to Iran's continued aggression."

Trump has until Oct. 15 to tell Congress if he believes Iran is complying with the seven-nation pact.

"We're going to give [Trump] a couple of options of how to move forward to advance the important policy toward Iran," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters Wednesday.

An announcement of decertification by Trump would not scrap the deal on its own. If he does decertify the deal, Congress could reintroduce economic sanctions on Iran that were suspended under the agreement. If that happens, Iran has threatened to walk away from the arrangement and restart activities that could take it closer to nuclear weapons.

Trump and other U.S. officials, including Tillerson, have said Iran is violating the spirit of the agreement because of its testing of ballistic missiles, threats to U.S. allies in the Middle East, and support for U.S.-designated terrorist organizations and Syria's government.

The president has called the deal, which forced Iran to scale back its nuclear program in exchange for broad relief from international economic sanctions, one of the nation's "worst and most one-sided transactions" ever. But many of his top national security aides don't want to dismantle the deal, and America's European allies have lobbied the Trump administration heavily not to walk away from the agreement.

Under the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, Trump must determine that Iran is implementing the nuclear deal and hasn't committed a "material breach," or taken action that could advance its nuclear weapons program. The law also demands the president's verdict on a fourth question: whether suspending sanctions is "appropriate and proportionate," and if doing so is "vital to the national security interests of the United States."

On Tuesday, Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Iran "is not in material breach of the agreement." At the same hearing, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he believed the deal is still in the U.S. national security interest, but hinted that Trump may try to decertify without breaking the deal.

"You can talk about the conditions under one of those, and not walk away from the other," he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/10/05/trump-reportedly-plans-to-decertify-iran-nuclear-deal.html

[Ender]

US defense secretary breaks with Trump in backing Iran nuclear deal



The US defense secretary, James Mattis, has backed the nuclear deal with Iran, saying it is in the interests of national security to maintain it, breaking with Donald Trump and potentially making it harder for the president to withdraw from the deal.

The timing and nature of Mattis’s remarks are particularly significant because Trump has threatened to withhold certification of the 2015 international agreement in a report to Congress due on 15 October . Under the relevant legislation, the administration has to certify whether Iran is in material breach of the agreement, or if the deal is not serving the national interest.

Mattis was asked at a hearing of the Senate armed services committee whether he believed it was currently in the US national security interest to remain in the agreement.

After a significant pause, the defense secretary replied: “Yes, senator, I do.”

At the same hearing, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Joseph Dunford agreed that Iran was abiding by the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which he said had delayed Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons. Last week, Dunford said the US should uphold the agreement, in the absence of a clear Iranian breach, or risk losing credibility when it came to signing future agreements.

Trump has repeatedly lambasted the JCPOA – one of the most important foreign policy legacies of his predecessor, Barack Obama – most recently at the UN general assembly last month.

“Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States and I don’t think you have heard the last of it, believe me,” he said, raising expectations that he would not endorse the agreeement.

Mattis is arguably the most powerful member of Trump’s cabinet and the president has been wary of contradicting him in public, something he has clearly no compunction about doing in the case of the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.

Even if Mattis does not immediately sway Trump’s position on the JCPOA, his opinion is likely to carry weight with senators, who would be called on to decide the fate of the date, if the president did not certify it on 15 October.

Asked later in the committee hearing to explain his view on the deal, Mattis said. “The point I would make is if we can confirm that Iran is living by the agreement, if we can determine that this is in our best interests then clearly we should stay with it,” Mattis added. “I believe at this point in time absent indications to the contrary, it is something the president should consider staying with.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/03/us-defense-secretary-breaks-with-trump-in-backing-iran-nuclear-deal

[r3volution 3.0]

During a briefing with senior military leaders Thursday, Trump said Iran had "not lived up to the spirit of the agreement"During a briefing with senior military leaders Thursday, Trump said Iran had "not lived up to the spirit of the agreement"

Translation: Iran has not violated the agreement, but Trump & Co. (contra the European allies) want war.

[Zippyjuan]

With all the international agreements Trump says he doesn't like or won't abide by, nobody is going to be willing to negotiate or re-negotiate anything with him. The self- professed "deal maker" will find that there are no deals to be had.

[Swordsmyth]

With all the international agreements Trump says he doesn't like or won't abide by, nobody is going to be willing to negotiate or re-negotiate anything with him. The self- professed "deal maker" will find that there are no deals to be had.

And that will be an improvement.

[Raginfridus]

Translation: Iran has not violated the agreement, but Trump & Co. (contra the European allies) want war.With a European Parliament distracted by popular and USG-backed nationalist movements, support for Iran against the Zionazis could be undermined...

[r3volution 3.0]

With a European Parliament distracted by popular and USG-backed nationalist movements, support for Iran against the Zionazis could be undermined...

That's an interesting point.

It's well known that Moscow is promoting these groups, for the purpose of disorganizing (or, in their dreams, dissolving) NATO.

But the US also has an interest in preventing the EU from becoming an effective alternative to NATO.

America in, Russia out, Germany down.

[Raginfridus]

Hah, in a round-a-bout way Russia, Zionazis & Neocons overlap objectives... even though their missions differ. I wonder if China can salvage the deal in the EU's stead:

https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2016/12/000_IR4K8-e1480952810310.jpg

[phill4paul]

So it will throw the ball back in Congress' court from the executive side. Is this a bad thing?

[Swordsmyth]

So it will throw the ball back in Congress' court from the executive side. Is this a bad thing?

Look at the Russia sanctions vote and then you tell me.

[phill4paul]

Look at the Russia sanctions vote and then you tell me.

+rep if you can clue me in.

[Swordsmyth]

+rep if you can clue me in.

Near unanimity for spite sanctions against Russia over their nonexistent "Meddling" in the 2016 election with the intent of provoking war.

They also tossed in sanctions against Iran to try to get a war there too.

[AZJoe]

Germany, France and UK Defy US President’s Rhetoric on Iran Deal (http://theduran.com/breaking-germany-france-uk-issue-joint-statement-us-dont-dump-jcpoa-aka-iran-deal/)

Berlin has released a statement jointly signed by the governments of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, urging the United States not to pull out of the 2015 JCPOA, often referred to as the ‘Iran deal’.

The news comes as many suspect that Donald Trump is preparing to defy the advice of his own state department, his allies in Germany, France, Britain and the EU as a whole, as well as the stated wishes of Russia and China and withdraw from the deal.

The statement was presented by Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. Gabriel previously stated that the “world will change” if the US pulls out of the deal …

Today (https://sputniknews.com/world/201710091058069812-germany-france-uk-iran-nuclear-deal-us/), Gabriel echoed the words of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in stating that if the US withdraws from the JCPOA, it would send the wrong message to North Korea, one which indicates that the US is not willing nor able to adhere to internationally reached agreements. …

With Russia and even South Korea leaving the door for economic cooperation with Pyongyang open, as an incentive to de-escalate tensions in East Asia, the United States is finding itself increasingly isolated in respect of its bellicose threats against both Tehran and Pyongyang. Such threats are rejected not only by Russia and China, but also by America’s EU allies. …

In respect of Iran, even among countries which are generally on the different side of major geo-political issues vis-a-vis the Iranian government, there is a concensus that Iran is in full compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement … The JCPOA was agreed upon after joint talks between Iran, China, Russia, US, UK, France, Germany and the EU as a whole. Currently, all of the aforementioned parties formally agree that Iran is in full compliance with the agreement. …

Even more recently, both US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as well as US Defense Secretary James “Mad Dog” Matti (http://theduran.com/tillerson-denies-considering-resignation-reports-say-called-trump-moron/)s, have agreed that Iran is complying with the deal. …

The only other world figure who has perpetually worked to aggressively undermine the JCPOA, is Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. …

[shakey1]

The only other world figure who has perpetually worked to aggressively undermine the JCPOA, is Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. …

Go figure.:cool:

[Ender]

Go figure.:cool:

SHOCKED, I TELL YA. :rolleyes:

[AZJoe]

AIPAC is struggling for new window dressing (http://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/With-White-House-allies-AIPAC-works-to-reshape-Iran-deal-debate-507069) to sell breaching the "Iran Deal".

From Antiwar (http://news.antiwar.com/2017/10/09/aipac-struggles-to-structure-debate-on-iran-deal/):

Major Israel Lobby organization AIPAC was leading the campaign against the Iran nuclear deal for years, and is now struggling to revise the appropriate confines of debate on the matter in the lead-up to President Trump decertifying the deal to try to kill it (http://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/With-White-House-allies-AIPAC-works-to-reshape-Iran-deal-debate-507069).

AIPAC insists that they take no specific position on whether or not Trump ought to decertify the deal. They are, however, heavily lobbying the administration and US Congress on a new round of sanctions which would amount to a breach of the deal. ... AIPAC appears to be determined to avoid any specific blame on that by structuring its hostility toward the deal as separate from the decertification issue.
Yet decertification is the mechanism through which Trump believes he can most easily kill the deal, which is what AIPAC’s been insisting on from the start. In trying to be ambiguous on how the US should kill the deal, as they are still pushing for the deal to be killed, AIPAC is pushing the US down a reckless path while simultaneously preparing to dodge blame when it inevitably goes wrong. ...

[AZJoe]

https://i.imgflip.com/1xq8mp.jpg

[AZJoe]

http://www.mintpressnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Trump-Netanyahu-Iran-Deal-Mintpressnews-1145x804.jpg

[Swordsmyth]

In October Mr Trump, who scorns the multinational agreement to freeze Iran’s nuclear weapons programme as “the worst deal ever”, disavowed but did not formally withdraw from the pact. That gave Congress 60 days to reintroduce sanctions that were suspended by the deal: a deadline expiring this week. Mr Trump also urged lawmakers to craft new measures to halt Iran’s ballistic-missile development and support for Middle Eastern terrorism. European allies noted Iran’s technical compliance with the deal and warned America it would walk out alone. The buck will now pass back to Mr Trump, whose next chance to kill the agreement falls in January.

More at: https://espresso.economist.com/8808eda0dd3dec4e4df50499f2fc75e8