President Trump is expected to “decertify” the international nuke deal with Iran next week, contending that the accord is not in the United States’…
President Trump is expected to “decertify” the international nuke deal with Iran next week, contending that the accord is not in the United States’ interest, it was reported Thursday.
The decision would force Congress to deal with the issue, The Washington Post said, citing sources briefed on the White House strategy.
It could also lead to the reimposition of US sanctions on Iran, which would scrap the deal that the US and five other nations reached in 2015 to limit the Islamic theocracy’s nuclear program.
Trump was expected to announce the decision in a speech, tentatively scheduled for this Thursday, detailing a broader strategy for dealing with a nation his administration say supports terrorism and sows chaos in the Mideast.
Trump wants a tougher approach that could lead to the modification of the pact, which he has slammed as a bad deal.
At the UN General Assembly last month, he called the deal an “embarrassment” and “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.”
But Trump would hold off on recommending Congress reimpose sanctions on Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing four unidentified people “familiar with aspects of the president’s thinking.”
But the sources warned that Trump could change his mind, and the White House would not confirm any plans for a speech or any such decision.
Trump faces an Oct. 15 deadline to tell Congress if Iran is complying with the nuke deal and whether he believes it is in the interests of the US.
“The administration looks forward to sharing details of our Iran strategy at the appropriate time,” Michael Anton, a spokesman for the White House national security council, told The Washington Post.
If Trump decertifies the deal, a 60-day congressional review period would kick in to consider the next step.
While Trump has said he would be open to renegotiating the deal, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said last month that he would not be willing to alter it.
And Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month threatened harsh action if the US makes a “wrong move” on the nuclear accord.
Tillerson said on Wednesday that Trump would be given recommendations on the deal.
He declined to say whether he agreed with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ assertion to Congress on Tuesday that Iran was “fundamentally” in compliance with the accord.
