Trump administration plans to certify Iranian compliance with nuclear agreement – Washington Post
The Trump administration, delaying an anticipated confrontation with Iran until the completion of a long-awaited policy review, plans to recertify Tehrans compliance with the Obama-era nuclear deal, according to U.S. and foreign officials.
The recertification, due Monday to Congress, follows a heated internal debate between those who want to crack down on Iran now including some White House officials and lawmakers and Cabinet officials who are managing other constituencies such as European allies, and Russia and China, which signed and support the agreement, one senior U.S. official said.
As a candidate and president, Trump has said he would reexamine and possibly kill what he called the disastrous nuclear deal that was negotiated under President Barack Obama and went into effect in January last year. The historic agreement shut down most of Irans nuclear program, in some cases for decades, in exchange for an easing of international sanctions.
Under an arrangement Obama worked out with Congress, the administration must certify Iranian compliance with the terms of the accord every 90 days. If the administration denies certification, it can then decide to reinstitute sanctions that were suspended under the deal.
The Trump administration issued its first certification in April, when it also said it was awaiting completion of its review of the agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. The senior official, one of several who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said the review should be completed before the next certification deadline in October.
(Gillian Brockell and Julio C. Negron/The Washington Post)
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations and other signatories have said repeatedly that Iran is complying with the agreement, under which the country dismantled most of its centrifuges and nuclear stockpile, shut down a plutonium production program and agreed to extensive international monitoring of all stages of the nuclear process.
[Frances Total bets big on Irans gas fields. American rivals watch from afar.]
Beyond disagreements over what supporters of the deal consider minor and quickly rectified infractions, and detractors assert are dealbreaking violations, there is broad consensus within the administration and Congress that Iran continues to participate in other prohibited activities not covered in the nuclear accord.
The question is how the United States should respond.
White House officials, including those charged with managing Iran policy within the National Security Council, believe Iran should be punished not only for nuclear violations, but also for its support of international terrorism and its development of ballistic-missile technology.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has statutory responsibility for certification, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have successfully argued that the nuclear deal should not be tied to punishments for those activities and that any nuclear-related action should await the review.
Officials cautioned that Trump, who has made clear his disdain for the accord, could decide not to sign off on the recertification between now and the Monday deadline but said that was unlikely. The decision to recertify was first reported Thursday by the Weekly Standard.
Next Tuesday, the administration must also comply with a separate deadline, reporting to Congress on Irans overall nuclear behavior and deciding whether to waive reinstituting sanctions lifted under the accord. That report, due 180 days after Trumps inauguration, was part of restrictions lawmakers put on the agreement, as was the 90-day certification requirement.
As White House officials have asserted their role in the process, the administration has downgraded internal State Department mechanisms for monitoring Iranian compliance. In recent weeks, a separate State Department office of Iran Nuclear Implementation established by Obama was subsumed by the bureau in charge of overall Middle East policy. Both Stephen D. Mull, the lead coordinator for implementation, and Stuart Jones, the acting head of the Middle East bureau, have told Tillerson they are resigning from the Foreign Service.
It is unclear who will replace Jones or whether Mull will be replaced at all.
Among those weighing in from the outside during the debate, which included a meeting of Trumps national security principals last week, were four Republican lawmakers Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.), Ted Cruz (Tex.), David Perdue (Ga.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).
They urged noncertification in a letter Tuesday to Tillerson, saying that in addition to violations of the deal, Iran continues to wage a campaign of regional aggression, sponsor international terrorism, develop ballistic missile technology and oppress the Iranian people.
Mark Dubowitz, head of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which has long criticized the accord and urged its reformulation, said that recertification was the wrong decision.
I think the administration this time around should have made the decision not to recertify, explain why, and actually gone ahead with the waiver and slapped on some new nonnuclear sanctions.
Noncertification would not automatically trigger the end of the deal. That would require the United States to allege a material breach on Irans part and a referral to the joint commission of signatories to the agreement for assessment. But proponents of the accord said that a failure to certify would nonetheless trigger unwanted reactions.
Even if new sanctions were not related to Irans nuclear program, said Daryl G. Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, the real question is whether under those conditions the political support inside Iran for compliance with the deal will continue.
Allegations of Iranian violations, he said, are trumped up and not supported by any evidence. ... They have exceeded heavy-water limits by a tiny percentage, and gone back into compliance within days.
Tillerson aide R.C. Hammond made clear that his boss believes that Iran is behaving badly in a number of areas, regardless of the assessment of the nuclear deal, and that a new policy is being formulated. All the Obama Iran deal did was pay for a pause in Irans nuclear program, he said. It didnt fix any problems. What were going to try to do is fix the problems.
The senior official added that unlike the previous administration, this administration sees the JCPOA as a symptom, not the disease.
The disease is broader Iranian aggression. Thats what the strategy review is focused on, and until its complete, its difficult to know what is the best resolution, the official said. The president has been very frank about his opinion.
Friday is the second anniversary of the signing of the deal, negotiated with Iran over a number of years by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the European Union. Other signatories have been open in their rejection of Trumps assessment, and they have warned that they would continue to honor the agreement, and increase their trade and relations with Iran, no matter what the United States does.
I know that in the U.S. there is a review ongoing, E.U. foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said at a news conference Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. We respect that. But we also have the duty to make it clear that the nuclear deal doesnt belong to one country. It belongs to the international community, to the U.N. system. ... We share responsibility to make sure that this continues to be implemented fully by all.
Carol Morello in Kuwait contributed to this report.
Read more:
Trump administration plans to certify Iranian compliance with nuclear agreement - Washington Post
- Khamenei aide: Iran will have no choice but to acquire nukes if attacked - The Times of Israel - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- How dangerous are the tensions between the US and Iran? - Al Jazeera - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Russia condemns Trumps threat to bomb Iran over nuclear standoff - Anadolu Ajans - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran threatens preemptive strike on base housing US bombers, report says - Ynetnews - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Exclusive: Iran has readied missiles for potential response amid Trump's escalating threats - Tehran Times - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran's Khamenei vows retaliation if Trump threat enacted - DW - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran has rejected direct negotiations with the US in response to Trumps letter - AP News - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- US sanctions entities in Iran, China, UAE, for assisting Tehran with weapons procurement - The Times of Israel - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Khamenei adviser says Iran will have no choice but to get nuclear weapon if attacked - The Times of Israel - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- A Ticking Bomb: Israeli Eliminates Iran-Linked Terrorist in Beirut - Foundation for Defense of Democracies - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- 'Will have no choice': Iran warns it may have to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked - Times of India - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump threatens there will be bombing if Iran fails to make deal on nukes - The Times of Israel - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Suspected missile cargo ship arrives in Iran from China as nuclear tensions escalate - Newsweek - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump threatens to bomb Iran if nuclear deal cant be reached - Politico - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump warns Iran could see 'bombing the likes of which they have never seen' - www.israelhayom.com - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran rejects direct nuclear talks with Trump, open to indirect negotiations - Al Jazeera - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran's Supreme Leader Responds to Trump Bombing Threat - Newsweek - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Is Iran on a collision course with the west? - Financial Times - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump says 'there will be bombing' if Iran does not make nuclear deal - USA Today - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Mapped: These are the nuclear sites in Iran the US and Israel could hit if talks fail - Ynetnews - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump warns Iran of bombing like never seen before if no deal reached - - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- IDF reorganizes units responsible for Iran planning - The Times of Israel - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump threatens to bomb Iran unless deal on nuclear program is reached - The Independent - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump's threat to Iran that 'there will be bombing' comes amid new B-2 stealth bomber moves - Business Insider - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Israel and the United States are Ready to Strike Iran - The National Interest - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Two Carriers in the Middle East: Implications for the Houthis, Iran, and U.S. Force Readiness - The Washington Institute - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran Is Freaked: Trump and Israel Could Launch a Joint Strike - 19FortyFive - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump's threat to Iran that 'there will be bombing' comes amid new B-2 stealth bomber moves - MSN - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran rejects offer of direct US negotiations over rapidly growing nuclear program - New York Post - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trump's threat to Iran that 'there will be bombing' comes amid new B-2 stealth bomber moves - Yahoo - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trumps Middle East strategy is all about striking an Iran deal. Gaza could get in the way. - Atlantic Council - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- US Threatens 'All Options on the Table' for Iran - Newsweek - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Trump's offer of talks with Iran aims to avoid military action, US envoy says - Reuters - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Trumps Advisers Are Divided on Iran. Which Way Is the President Leaning? - The FP - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iranians discuss Trump envoys interest in visiting Tehran | Iran International - - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran's top medical body warns of skilled staff exodus - - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran says it will consider 'opportunities' as well as threats in Trump letter - Reuters - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Khamenei says Houthis act independently, warns against US strikes on Iran - The Times of Israel - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran condemns US threats to use force and vows to defend its sovereignty - The Times of Israel - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran's Khamenei says US threats 'will get them nowhere' - FRANCE 24 English - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran's Supreme Leader Threatens US with "Severe Blow" - Newsweek - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran's supreme leader says Trump administration threats over nuclear program "will get them nowhere" - CBS News - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran open to indirect talks with US, rejects direct negotiations under pressure - Arutz Sheva - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- How a war with Iran (for Israel) could crash the US economy - The Cradle - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran has 'got to address that fact that the world they knew is over': State Department spox - Fox Business - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- No one can even think of attack on Iran, FM asserts - Tehran Times - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- The Islamic Republic of Iran only understands one language: 'Language of pressure,' journalist say - Fox Business - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- French citizen Olivier Grondeau is freed after over 880 days in a prison in Iran - The Associated Press - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran's leader warns US could receive 'severe slaps' following Trump's threats to Houthis - Fox News - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- US and Israel Have Laid the Groundwork for War With Iran. Will Trump Set It Off? - Truthout - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Senior Saudi Journalist Tariq Al-Homayed: Iran Must Stop Its Expansion Project And Pursuit Of Nuclear Weapons, End The Futile Wars Waged By Its... - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Chinas five-point proposition on the Iran nuclear issue - Tehran Times - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran says its open to indirect negotiations with US over nuclear program - The Times of Israel - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Report: Trump letter to Iran set 2-month deadline to reach nuclear deal - The Times of Israel - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Why wont Britain take the threat of Iran seriously? - The Times - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Trump drops two-month deadline on nuclear deal with Iran - The Jerusalem Post - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Trump's tactics with Canada are pushing the prize of an Iran nuclear deal further away - The National - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- What to do with Iran and its Houthi proxies: Attack! - The Hill - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- US envoy Witkoff says Trump wants to build trust with Iran to avoid armed conflict - The National - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Twilight of the Islamic Republic: The rocky road to regime change in Iran has begun - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Iran leader rejects nuclear talks with US as Trump letter arrives - BBC.com - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iraq says seeking alternatives to Iran gas - Yahoo - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- What to know about tensions between Iran and the US as Trump sends a letter to its supreme leader - The Associated Press - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- 'This threat is unwise': Iran's Khamenei cautions Trump against potential military action - FRANCE 24 English - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iran Could Lose Iraq: The Axis of Resistance Is Primed to Take Another Hit - Foreign Affairs Magazine - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Attacking Iran's Nuclear Program: The Complex Calculus of Preventive Action - The Washington Institute - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- An Emirati diplomat identified as having a letter from Trump meets with Iran's foreign minister - The Associated Press - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- China, Russia, Iran to hold nuclear talks in Beijing on Friday - Reuters - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iran's President to Trump: I will not negotiate, 'do whatever the hell you want' - Reuters - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iran's president refuses talks, tells Trump 'do whatever the hell you want' - Middle East Eye - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- UAE official delivers to Iran letter from Trump urging nuclear talks - The Times of Israel - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- What to know about tensions between Iran and the US as Trump sends a letter to its supreme leader - Greenville Daily Reflector - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iraq says seeking alternatives to Iran gas - Wyoming News Now - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- What to know about tensions between Iran and the US as Trump sends a letter to its supreme leader - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Beach turns bright red in Iran: 5 things about bizarre 'blood rain' phenomenon that stunned internet - Hindustan Times - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- What to know about tensions between Iran and the US as Trump sends a letter to its supreme leader - Cecil Daily - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iran Tells Trump: "Do Whatever The Hell You Want." - Newsweek - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Striking the head: Israel's Iran strategy | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iran's supreme leader rejects talks with the U.S., says it's "not aimed at solving problems" - CBS News - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Iran steps up crackdown on female singers with social media bans | Iran International - - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]