UPDATED-Trump is 'very likely' to recertify Iranian compliance with Iran nuclear deal: U.S. official
Last edited Thu Jul 13, 2017, 01:56 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Reuters
JULY 13, 2017 / 12:04 PM / 29 MINUTES AGO
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is "very likely" to recertify Iranian compliance with the Iran nuclear agreement although he continues to have reservations about it, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.
Under the deal, the State Department must notify Congress every 90 days on Iran's compliance under the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump has a congressionally mandated deadline of Monday to decide.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Trump could always change his mind. He had complained about the deal bitterly during last year's presidential campaign.
Reporting By Steve Holland
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-iran-idUSKBN19Y226
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Trump administration plans to certify Iranian compliance with nuclear agreement
By Karen DeYoung July 13 at 1:32 PM
The administration has decided for the second time since January to certify Iranian compliance with the nuclear agreement that President Trump has called a disastrous deal, according to U.S. and foreign officials.
The decision followed what several officials characterized as heated internal debate that culminated at a principals committee last week in a clash between a number of White House officials and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
Tillerson has statutory responsibility for certifying Irans compliance to Congress every 90 days, a deadline that falls next Monday. Some White House officials and lawmakers argued that Iran has breached the deal in several significant areas. But Tillerson and Mattis noted that international monitors and U.S. allies have assessed the opposite, and said that any sharp change in U.S. posture should await completion of an ongoing administration review of overall policy toward Iran.
As a candidate and president, Trump said he would reexamine and possibly kill the Iran nuclear deal signed under President Barack Obama. The historic agreement shut down Tehrans nuclear weapons program, in some cases for decades, in exchange for an easing of international sanctions.
The administration first certified Iranian compliance in April. The review is expected to be completed before the next 90-day deadline in October, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity about internal deliberations.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-plans-to-certify-iranian-compliance-with-nuclear-agreement/2017/07/13/4e696452-67e6-11e7-a1d7-9a32c91c6f40_story.html