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U.N. chief says don't harm Iran nuclear deal over unrelated issues
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that any issues not directly related to the Iran nuclear deal “should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement,” his spokesman said amid U.S. concerns with Tehran.
Corker: Scrapping Iran deal could make North Korea 'more difficult'
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) warned Tuesday that withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal could have consequences for the ongoing crisis with North Korea as President Trump faces critical deadlines on the accord.
U.S. Accuses Iran of U.N. Violation, but Evidence Falls Short
The Trump administration tried to mount a case on Thursday that Iran violated an international agreement to limit its arms dealing, but American officials failed to show how an array of weaponry presented as evidence proved the charges.
Haley’s ‘Smoking Gun’ on Iran Met With Skepticism at U.N.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, claimed Thursday that the international body has obtained “undeniable” evidence that Iran supplied Yemeni insurgents with missiles and other arms. But U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres reached no such conclusion in his report this month that addresses U.S. and Saudi claims the Houthi insurgents fired Iranian short-range ballistic missiles that nearly missed Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Nov. 4.
Trump punted the Iran deal to Congress. Congress just punted it back.
When President Trump decertified the Iran nuclear deal, he was punting the question of whether it should be torn up to Congress. Congress just punted it back to him — and he’s back to square one, with the deal he promised to scrap still in place.
Fate of Iran deal to land back in Trump’s hands
Two months after Donald Trump offloaded to Congress a decision on whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, lawmakers are set to hand the contentious issue back to the president after missing a deadline to deal with it.
Decertifying the Iran deal: A crisis of Trump's own making
US President Donald Trump's attempts to jettison the Iran nuclear deal will, in the eyes of many observers, send a dangerous message to the international community, and to North Korea in particular.
The Middle East and Russia: American attitudes on Trump’s foreign policy
As the first year of President Donald Trump’s administration winds down, his pledged commitments to reach the “ultimate deal,” a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Territories, remain unfulfilled. With increasing instability in the Middle East and a multitude of challenges facing in the White House, President Trump’s plans remain elusive. Nonresident Senior Fellow Shibley Telhami has conducted a public opinion poll which examines American attitudes toward the Middle East, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran, and Russia’s role in the region.
Iran sticks to key limits of nuclear deal: U.N. watchdog report
Iran has remained within the essential limits on its nuclear activities imposed by its 2015 deal with six world powers, a report by the U.N. atomic watchdog showed on Monday [November 13].
IAEA confirms Iran is meeting its commitments under nuclear agreement
Iran is adhering to the restrictions imposed on its nuclear program under a 2015 agreement, the United Nations agency charged with monitoring the country’s facilities has said in its first report since President Trump refused to certify the Islamic republic’s compliance.
Despite Trump’s misgivings, nuclear negotiator and watchdog say Iran deal works
The Iran nuclear deal is working, according to two officials involved in implementing it who came to Washington on Tuesday to defend the embattled agreement before members of Congress.
UN Nuclear Chief Rejects U.S. Claim That Enforcement Of Iran Deal 'Weak'
"Some people believe that our verification activities are weak. This is not true," International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Yukiya Amano said on a visit to Washington on November 7.
EU diplomat says US lawmakers want to honor Iran deal
EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said the Iran nuclear deal is not open for renegotiation and that US lawmakers have indicated that their goal, as they amend legislation related to the pact, is to keep the US in compliance with the multilateral agreement.
Nuclear Scientists Urge Congress to Protect Iran Deal
More than 90 top American experts in atomic sciences, including a designer of the hydrogen bomb, publicly threw their weight behind the Iran nuclear agreement on Monday, exhorting Congress to preserve the accord in the face of President Trump’s disavowal of it.
Iran fulfilling nuclear deal commitments: IAEA chief
Iran is fulfilling its commitments under the nuclear deal with world powers and U.N. inspectors are facing no problems in their verification efforts, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general said on Monday.
CNN poll: Two-thirds want to stay in Iran nuclear deal
Two in three Americans say President Donald Trump should not pull the United States out of the nuclear deal aiming to block Iran from developing nuclear weapons, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
Ex-CIA director: Trump leaving Iran deal will alienate US allies
Former CIA Director John Brennan says President Trump risks escalating tensions among U.S. allies by threatening to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.
Ernest Moniz: Trump harms U.S. credibility with Paris and Iran pullbacks
The Trump administration's pullbacks on the Iran nuclear and Paris climate deals will make it harder for other countries to take the U.S. seriously on a range of topics, former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said Wednesday in Washington.
One Norwegian company is defying Trump’s Iran tantrum
President Donald Trump wants to reisolate Iran, reneging on the nuclear deal, JCPOA, of 2015. The president described the agreement – that has been called the signature foreign policy achievement of Barack Obama’s presidency – as, “embarrassing,” and, "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into," in a UN speech. But one Norwegian company is defying Trump and making a big bet on Iran.
Statement by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano
The IAEA’s verification and monitoring activities address all the nuclear-related elements under the JCPOA. They are undertaken in an impartial and objective manner and in accordance with the modalities defined by the JCPOA and standard safeguards practice.
Approach to Iran exposes growing irritation between U.S. and allies
What has already happened is a widening chasm of mutual disdain between the United States and its traditional allies. Trump sees them as self-interested freeloaders who must be reminded of U.S. power. They see him as an erratic force who must be managed as he squanders American leadership.
Trump’s Iran move increases danger of war, says Sigmar Gabriel
If the U.S. terminates the Iran nuclear deal or reimposes sanctions, it could result in Tehran developing nuclear weapons and increase the likelihood of war close to Europe, Germany’s foreign minister warned Saturday.
Trump leaves Republicans with heavy lift on Iran deal
Republicans demanded a major say on the Iran nuclear agreement two years ago and never got it from Democrat Barack Obama. Now that President Donald Trump has directed Congress to make the international pact more stringent, the GOP is finding that having that voice won’t be easy.
IAEA chief confirms Iran complying with nuclear deal
The UN atomic agency chief on Monday affirmed Iran's commitment to a 2015 nuclear deal, in a statement that came as US President Donald Trump said Tehran was not living up to the "spirit" of the agreement. "I can state that the nuclear-related commitments undertaken by Iran under the (nuclear agreement) are being implemented," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said in prepared remarks during a conference in Rome.
Iran nuclear deal: What you need to know
Later this week, President Trump is expected to announce his decision to “decertify” the Iran nuclear deal, arguing that the arrangement isn't in the best interests of the United States. The world has been bracing for this decision since Trump won the election in November. He has repeatedly derided the Iran accord as a stupid, loser deal, one of the worst he has ever seen. But “decertifying” won't kill the accord automatically. It's much more complicated than that. Here's what Trump may do this week and how it might play out domestically and internationally.
Mattis Contradicts Trump on Iran Deal Ahead of Crucial Deadline
An administration official said that no difference existed between the president’s views and those of his secretary of defense on the Iran deal. But the evident dissonance between the president and his senior national security advisers has taken on greater consequence in the cases of Iran and North Korea, which are potentially questions of war or peace.
Republicans might block Trump from killing Iran nuke deal
President Donald Trump might soon toss the Iran nuclear deal back to Congress to decide its fate — but it’s no sure thing that lawmakers would kill it for good.
Europe’s governments look to bypass Trump to save Iranian nuclear deal
European governments fear a concerted effort to persuade Donald Trump to continue to certify the Iran nuclear deal may have failed and are now looking for other ways to try to salvage the two year-old agreement.
Mattis: Stick to Iran deal
President Donald Trump's top Pentagon advisers told Congress Tuesday they believe Iran is sticking to the 2015 agreement to halt its nuclear weapons program and expressed support for keeping the pact.
Republicans might block Trump from killing Iran nuke deal
President Donald Trump might soon toss the Iran nuclear deal back to Congress to decide its fate — but it’s no sure thing that lawmakers would kill it for good.
Poll: Backing for Iran Deal Remains Steady Despite Weakening GOP Voter Support
Public support for the Iran nuclear deal remains steady, according to a new Morning Consult/POLITICO survey ahead of an Oct. 15 deadline for President Donald Trump to declare whether the Middle Eastern country is in compliance with the accord’s framework.
Top general says Iran complying with nuclear deal
The top general in the U.S. military said Tuesday that Iran is complying with a landmark nuclear deal and that the agreement has achieved its result of curbing Iran’s nuclear program.
Europe Considering Blocking Iran Sanctions If US Leaves Nuclear Deal, EU Ambassador Says
European countries face an awkward situation if the U.S. reimposes sanctions against Iran without definitive evidence that Iran has breached the nuclear deal. They will have to choose between breaking publicly with a key ally or losing credibility by failing to honor a diplomatic agreement.
European Diplomats Speak Out Against Trump’s Opposition to Iran Deal
Should the United States end the agreement and attempt to penalize European companies doing business with Iran, David O’Sullivan, the European Union’s ambassador, said that Europe could respond with its own measures against the United States.
Former Deputy Secretary Of State Talks About Future Of Iran Nuclear Deal
President Trump has suggested he wants to revisit the Iran nuclear deal, which was negotiated by the Obama administration. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with former Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the deal.
Will Trump walk away from the Iran nuclear deal?
President Trump has long denounced the Iran nuclear deal, most recently at the UN summit. But is he willing to leave it? As Trump faces a deadline to recertify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 accord, Robert Malley, a lead negotiator on the agreement, and Stephen Rademaker, a state department staffer under George W. Bush, talk with Judy Woodruff about what would happen if the president walks away.
US Strategic Command chief: Iran adhering to nuclear deal
“The facts are that Iran is operating under the agreements the we signed up for under the JCPOA,” Gen. John Hyten said at a Hudson Institute event, using the acronym for the formal name of the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Rand Paul: Don’t blow up Iran deal
Sen. Rand Paul, who opposed the nuclear deal with Iran two years ago, wants the United States to stay in the agreement — even as President Donald Trump sends clues that he is preparing to derail it.
Netanyahu at Odds With Israeli Military and Intelligence Brass Over Whether to Push Trump to Scrap Iran Nuclear Deal
Despite Netanyahu’s wish that Trump announces that Iran isn’t complying with the nuclear deal, all Israeli intelligence bodies dealing with the Iranian issue are united in the opinion that in the two years and two months that have passed since the agreement was signed in Vienna, Iran hasn’t been caught violating a single clause. Also, the Israeli intelligence community has no evidence that the Iranians have resumed their nuclear project and gone back on their commitments.
Trump to abide by Iran deal for now as pressure builds to stay in
While Trump is complying with the deal for now, all eyes are on another deadline - Oct. 14 - when the administration must certify to Congress that Iran is meeting its obligations under the agreement and that the deal remains within U.S. interests.
Arms Control Experts Urge Trump to Honor Iran Nuclear Deal
Alarmed that President Trump may soon take steps that could unravel the international nuclear agreement with Iran, more than 80 disarmament experts urged him on Wednesday to reconsider and said the accord was working.
Europe urges Trump to keep Iran deal while exploring other pressure points
Washington’s European allies are urging the Donald Trump administration to stick with the Iran nuclear deal, while offering to collaborate on other ways to address outstanding issues such as Tehran’s support for militant proxy groups in the region and its ballistic missile program.
Experts urge Trump not to abandon Iran nuclear deal
More than 80 experts on nuclear proliferation urged the Trump administration not to abandon the Iran nuclear deal in a statement on Wednesday.
Iran Atomic Inspections Double With Deal Questioned by Trump
Iran has received nearly two snap nuclear inspections a month and almost double the overall number of visits it had just five years ago, indicating the value of the deal the U.S. and its allies reached in 2015 to rein in the country’s nuclear program.
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief says Iran playing by the rules
Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Iran had not broken any promises and was not receiving special treatment.
Iran adhering to nuclear deal with world powers, U.N. watchdog says
The U.N. watchdog tasked with monitoring Iran’s ­nuclear activities certified Thursday that the country remains in compliance with a 2015 accord struck with world powers, even as the Trump administration has threatened to withdraw from the deal.
Rouhani warns US against 'political suicide'
At his swearing-in ceremony, Mr Rouhani said Iran would continue to abide by the terms of the deal as long as the other signatories do the same. The White House says Iran is complying with the deal but Mr Trump says Iran is violating its spirit.
"Trump Recertifies Iran Nuclear Deal, but Only Reluctantly"
President Trump agreed on Monday to certify again that Iran is complying with an international nuclear agreement that he has strongly criticized, but only after hours of arguing with his top national security advisers, briefly upending a planned announcement as a legal deadline loomed.
Iran complying with key limits of nuclear deal - IAEA report
The report was the second since the January inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called the pact between six powers and Iran "the worst deal ever negotiated" and branded Tehran an enemy in contrast with his predecessor Barack Obama.
Senate tones down Iran sanctions bill after input from Obama team
"The Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly passed Iran sanctions legislation May 25, but only after making several changes requested by Barack Obama administration officials who helped negotiate the nuclear deal."
Iran Deal Is More Popular Than Ever, Poll Shows
A new Morning Consult/POLITICO survey shows that support for the Iran deal has steadily increased since the deal became public in 2015.
Schiff: Trump breaking Iran deal ‘a grave mistake’
Congressman Schiff (D-CA) reacts to the Administration's announcement of a JCPOA review.
An Iran-Style Nuclear Deal With North Korea Is the Best America Can Hope For
An agreement Trump has called “the worst deal ever negotiated” may offer a route out of the crisis.

Op-Eds & Editorials

Lead Negotiator In Iran Deal: Trump Is 'Misreading Situation'
President Donald Trump has taken aim once again at the Iran nuclear deal following the outbreak of widespread protests in towns and cities there, renewing the possibility that the United States might walk away from the landmark multilateral agreement. The president and his allies are undoubtedly inclined to think that now is a good time to kill the deal and that doing so might help the Iranians taking to the streets to protest their government. But this would be a fundamental misreading of the situation, for at least three reasons.
From an Isolated Iran to an Isolated US
I join the increasing number of commentators who believe that American concerns over Iran’s nuclear weapons intentions may – as before the invasion of Iraq in 2003 – be more of a marketing ploy than a real worry.
Why UK-US divide on Iranian nuclear deal matters
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has frequently referred to the nuclear agreement as a test to see if Iran can trust the West. And while it is true that the Trump administration has broken this trust, Britain, France and Germany have kept to their word. Given the nature of the special relationship between the UK and the United States, however, it is London more so than Paris and Berlin that could prove essential in determining the fate of the JCPOA. Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/11/iran-nuclear-deal-britain-us-trump-may-divergence-split.html#ixzz4zM14Mo2Z
Renegotiation of the Iran deal is not an option
One thing is clear: renegotiation is not an option. I say this out of realism and experience. It took us 12 years to agree on extremely dense and complex technical details in a process that required all outstanding issues to be tackled in parallel. Unilaterally reopening discussions on this or that paragraph is simply impossible.
The United States should stand by the Iran deal
President Donald Trump has taken the first step toward pulling the United States out of the international agreement that is preventing the development of an Iranian nuclear weapon. With no factual basis, this decision looms like pure domestic politics over America’s international commitments and leadership.
The future of the Iran nuclear deal
As the only PhD physicist in Congress, I felt a special responsibility to perform due diligence on technical representations that ensured the deal would work. I received more than a dozen briefings by the technical experts who supported the negotiating team, including experts at US national laboratories. In addition to exhaustively reviewing technical aspects of the agreement, I also solicited opinions from across the spectrum on the issues of security and defense of the United States and its allies. As a scientist, I also spent a lot of time explaining the technical details of the agreement to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Ultimately, I publicly supported and voted for the Iran Deal. A group of 90 nuclear experts just recently also voiced support for the deal, adding to the growing number of voices in the scientific community who agree that the implementation of the JCPOA has been a success.
Corker and Cotton’s False Promises Would Push Iran Toward Nuclearization
The Republican senators want to keep the JCPOA while adding new restrictions. It won’t work.
President Trump & the Iran Nuclear Deal – A European Perspective
President Donald Trump’s recent decision not to re-certify Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA has stimulated much debate on both sides of the Atlantic. But whilst in the U.S., both sides of the argument are being put, in Europe almost no one supports Trump’s policy – not governments, and certainly not electors. The unprecedented joint UK/France/Germany ‘statement of concern’ underlines this.
TRUMP’S IRAN GAMBIT: “THE EQUIVALENT OF PULLING THE PIN OUT OF THE GRENADE”
Donald Trump’s declaration earlier this month that he intends to withdraw from the Iran nuclear accord—the “worst deal ever,” as he loves to say—unless lawmakers on Capitol Hill made it broader and tougher, was “the equivalent of pulling the pin out of the grenade and handing it to Congress,” one Democratic congressional aide told me. Now Congress has 90 days—when the president has to recertify the deal—to put the pin back in. But, as in an action movie, it’s a task that currently looks impossible. The legislation that the Senate devises will have to garner 60 votes and also satisfy the Trump administration, which wants lawmakers to strengthen restrictions on the regime’s behavior. If Congress fails to deliver, Trump will unravel his predecessor’s signature foreign policy achievement. Meanwhile, the Iranians have said that any move by the Trump administration to unilaterally change the terms of the agreement would be viewed as a breach, potentially starting their race for a bomb.
Trump’s Iran Strategy Looks Ominously Familiar
Listening to President Donald Trump’s Iran speech on Friday—in which he announced his refusal to certify the nuclear deal to Congress—I am sure I was not alone in having flashbacks to 2002. Then, as now, we watched as a U.S. president set the United States on a course for war in the Middle East by politicizing intelligence, making false claims about weapons of mass destruction, overselling the benefits of confrontation and pulling members of Congress—afraid of looking soft on terrorism and WMD—along in his wake. The result then was the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which ended up costing the United States thousands of lives and billions of dollars, destabilizing the Middle East, and vastly enhancing Iranian control over Iraq. The question now is whether Congress will learn the lessons of that experience and prevent the president from repeating these same missteps—or if it will again be complicit in a colossal foreign policy debacle.
George J. Mitchell: Israeli experts defend the Iran nuclear deal
President Trump’s unwise decision could enable Iran to resume its nuclear program unfettered, leading to a nuclear arms race or a major and unnecessary war in the Middle East, just as tensions peak in Asia. Every member of Congress should carefully consider all of the evidence, including the statements by Israeli defense and security officials, before they vote on this issue.
Trump, if you nix the Iran deal, you’ll be gravely endangering Israel
For all its flaws, the nuclear agreement is the one major hurdle preventing Iran from becoming a second North Korea — a rogue state with nuclear weapons.
Donald Trump’s Iran gamble will not pay off
As has been widely expected since July, President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he would no longer certify that the Iran nuclear deal (known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) is in the US national security interest. The decision is a high stakes gamble with low odds of success.
The president leaves Congress to fix the mess he’s made on Iran
On Friday, President Trump told Congress to fix the Iran nuclear deal for him and threatened that if lawmakers did not obey, he would “terminate” the agreement. Yet the administration’s convoluted strategy virtually assures that Congress won’t succeed — foreshadowing yet another crisis over the deal and perhaps a U.S. withdrawal in just three months’ time.
Trump's move to end Iran nuclear deal makes America less safe
Jen Psaki and Leah Greenberg: The agreement provides visibility into Iran’s capabilities and actions. Backing out of it has devastating implications for U.S. and world security.
Trump Aims at Iran, Hits the U.S.
Amir Handjani: Decertifying compliance with the nuclear deal will make the world less safe and less trusting of Washington.
Abandoning the Iran Deal Puts America At Risk. And Not Just From Iran.
Senator Merkley: The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran might be the single biggest risk we face. According to every assessment, that risk is currently contained. Mr. President, let’s keep it that way; don’t walk away from the nuclear agreement.
Trump Is Going to Make a Huge Mistake on the Iran Deal
The president’s unwillingness to accept the truth about the Iran deal — that it is working to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and that it is clearly in America’s national security interest — will have far-reaching consequences.
Mr. Trump, Don’t Scrap the Iran Deal
If President Trump refuses to certify that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal this month, he will be making his most feckless foreign policy decision yet. Don’t do it, Mr. President. Be a statesman, listen to your own military and intelligence officials and put the security of America and its allies ahead of your ego.
Countdown to zero: The case for the Iran deal
Zero evidence has been provided to Congress concerning Iranian noncompliance, despite the fact that President Trump has reportedly already made his decision regarding recertification. If the president decertifies, the United States will have zero credibility on nonproliferation matters, zero partners to negotiate a better or more comprehensive deal, and zero diplomatic options to avert a nuclear-armed Iran.
Trump has absolutely no reason to blow up the Iran deal
It's time to send the right strategic message. It's time to stop arguing over the Iran deal. It's time for Mr. Trump to listen to his generals.
The world can’t afford a nuclear Iran. Keep the current deal.
When the Iran nuclear agreement was concluded more than two years ago, many questioned whether Tehran would live up to its terms. Incredibly, now it’s our continued compliance that’s in question.
Trump’s generals thwart him on the Iran deal
[T]here's a crucial constituency that may not be on the same page as Trump: “his” generals. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired Marine general, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee and fielded questions on the administration's thinking regarding the Iran deal.
John Kerry: The Iran deal is working. Here’s how we know.
If the United States breaks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the six other signatories and the conclusions of our own State Department by decertifying Iran’s compliance with the nuclear agreement, the deal’s fate will rest with Congress under the terms of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. It would be facing a decision about America’s security, not a referendum on President Trump or former president Barack Obama.
Tim Kaine: Backing Out of the Iran Agreement Would Damage America’s Moral Authority
Let's be clear: The Iran nuclear deal is working and has been since Iran dismantled much of its nuclear program in January 2016. IAEA head Yukiya Amano has called the verification measures in place to ensure Iran’s continued compliance “the most robust regime” currently in the world, and the agency has had access intrusive enough for Amano to confidently declare that Iran is implementing its commitments. We know what happens when we don’t listen to the IAEA; in 2003, its experts warned us that there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. We ignored them, invaded Iraq and have regretted that mistake ever since.
The Myth of a ‘Better’ Iran Deal
The Iran nuclear deal addresses a critical threat to U.S. and international security, and it must be sustained. Expanding the agreement is a worthy enterprise, but not at the expense of the current deal. Improving the JCPOA will require patient, steady, and balanced diplomacy — not more presidential bluster and threats to destroy the deal. There is no crisis.
For the sake of national security, Trump must honor the Iran deal
The Iran nuclear agreement is working, and if the United States destroys it, we will only isolate ourselves instead of isolating Iran, while losing our leverage internationally to confront Iran’s destabilizing behavior, from its support of Hezbollah to proxy battles in Yemen. Breaking the agreement may well set off the nuclear arms race in the Middle East, which the deal has successfully prevented. We need to be guided by facts.
Trump’s criticism of the Iran nuclear deal may only lead to more nuclear weapons
Trump’s decision [about decertifying Iran's compliance with the deal] is important not only because of its implications for Iran and the wider Middle East; the decision is also crucial because of what it will communicate about the broader U.S. commitment to nonproliferation.
The debate over the Iran deal is utterly perplexing
Adam Szubin writes: As one of the architects of a 10-year sanctions campaign against Iran under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and the Treasury Department official charged with delivering sanctions relief pursuant to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), I find the debate over the 2015 Iran deal somewhat baffling. Iran and its proxies are threatening our allies and interests across the Middle East, from Syria to Lebanon and Yemen to Iraq. Why would we risk letting Iran out of its nuclear shackles now?
Trump Slams Iran Deal at UN: What Next?
Supporters of the deal are under no illusions about the danger this enormous foreign policy achievement is in. The real question going forward will be how Trump intends to go about abandoning the deal. This will be a key factor in dictating the strategy to defend it.
Understanding the Iran Nuclear Agreement: Managing risks in an era of dangerous rhetoric and provocations.
Today, it seems the JCPOA is under pressure from dangerous rhetoric and provocations. While on the campaign, President Trump pledged to tear up the agreement, and since its enactment Iran has conducted numerous missile and space launches. While these tests do not violate the terms of the agreement itself, they hold the potential to undermine its support and erode confidence in its effectiveness. The risk that these confrontations escalate and lead to a collapse of the JCPOA cannot be ignored.
Trump playing a risky game on Iran nuclear deal
Good American foreign policy is not made with alternative facts, but that is all they offer when it comes to rationalizing their approach to Iran -- as we heard Tuesday from Ambassador Haley, who tried to build a case against staying in the deal by citing violations that didn't happen, implying that there are hundreds of suspicious sites left uninspected when there aren't, and brushing off the security concerns of our allies.
Renegotiating the Iran nuclear deal is pure fantasy
Instead of a new and better agreement, we would quickly be back to a place where Iran was advancing toward a potential nuclear weapons capability, and the United States had to decide whether to accept it or prevent it with military force — this time with virtually no international support and while dealing with an urgent nuclear crisis in North Korea at the same time.
The Case Against the Iranian Nuclear Deal Is One Big Lie
There’s no reason to trust any of the Trump administration’s criticisms of, or plans for replacing, the JCPOA.
A Devious Threat to a Nuclear Deal
Nikki Haley laid the Trump administration’s cards on the table this week with a new proposal aimed at sabotaging one of the Obama administration’s most important diplomatic initiatives — the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. President Trump promised during his campaign to kill the deal, despite its clear benefits to American security. Ms. Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, has set forth a scheme that could not only allow Mr. Trump to carry out his threat, but also shift final responsibility to Congress. The whole idea makes no sense to anyone but Mr. Trump’s hard-line advisers, who see Iran as the root of evil in the Persian Gulf.
An elegant but unconvincing attack on the Iran nuclear deal
When this editorial page endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we expressed the hope that the U.S. would maintain sanctions aimed at Iran’s destabilizing activities and its support for terrorism. We also lamented the fact that the sanctions relief promised under the deal might subsidize Iran’s sponsorship of militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. But we concluded that the benefits of the agreement in restraining Iran’s nuclear program made it worthwhile. So long as Iran complies with the letter of the agreement, that is still our view. It should also be the president’s.
How Iraq War Hawks Can Help Stop Trump from Going to War with Iran
Diplomacy Works Advisory Council members Jon Finer, Rob Malley, and Jeff Prescott write about how not to repeat the mistakes of 15 years ago that started a war in the Middle East, this time with Iran.
"Avoiding War with Iran"
The last thing the United States needs is another war in the Middle East. Yet a drumbeat of provocative words, outright threats and actions — from President Trump and some of his top aides as well as Sunni Arab leaders and American activists — is raising tensions that could lead to armed conflict with Iran.
"The Iran Nuclear Deal Has Been a Blessing for Israel"
Former Shin Bet Director Carmi Gillon weighs in on the benefits of two years of the Iran nuclear deal.
"Obama's gift to Trump: A lasting deal on Iran's nuclear program"
Politics should not be a driver of decisions on this issue, or on our foreign policy. The JCPOA provides a feasible path forward, for the Trump team, on one of the trickiest international challenges we face.
"Two Years on, the Iran Deal is Working"
It is true that Tehran’s behavior in the region has not improved, but the agreement has kept the regime from going nuclear.
"4 good reasons Trump shouldn't scrap the Iran nuclear deal or goad Iran to pull out"
Playing around with a nuclear agreement that is keeping Iran’s finger off the nuclear trigger is both irresponsible and dangerous.
The Iran Deal Continues to Benefit U.S. National Security, An Open Letter from Retired Generals and Admirals
Diplomacy is a vital tool for mitigating risk. Diplomacy can prevent military confrontations that would cost U.S. servicemembers their lives – without benefiting U.S. national security.
Editorial: Stop playing games with the Iranian nuclear deal
The Los Angeles Times discusses the success of the Iran deal and the consequences of breaking with it.
"Regime Change in Iran Would Be a Disaster for Everyone"
Donald Trump says Iran is a threat to the region, but his administration might be the real danger.
Congress’s good intentions may be taking us down a dangerous road
"This bill is likely to send a message to Iran, and the rest of the signatories of the agreement, that the United States is not interested in a diplomatic approach to other bilateral and multilateral issues we face with Iran. Congress should think twice before supporting a bill that is not in keeping with a clear foreign policy approach and which validates the White House’s stance in welcoming confrontation with Iran."
A Momentous Week for the Iran Nuclear Deal
As the Trump administration’s May 17 decision to extend sanctions waivers related to Iran’s nuclear program clearly attests, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is working—even in the eyes of its harshest critics. But several upcoming events—including the Iranian presidential election, Trump’s first overseas trip and potential Iran-related action in Congress—could change this picture.
Boston Globe Editorial: Trump's irresponsible rhetoric on Iran
"Donald Trump campaigned in black and white simplicities that didn't match the complexities of international affairs."
LA Times Editorial: Trump's incoherence on Iran doesn't serve U.S. interests
"[T]he U.S. can take steps to discourage Iranian adventurism without calling into question the viability of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or seeking to undermine it."
Scuttle the Iran Nuke Deal? That Approach Didn’t Stop North Korea
Jon Wolfsthal explains how the JCPOA provides an opportunity to go down a better path with Iran than we did with North Korea.
Asking for Trouble on Iran
The New York Times Editorial Board examines the Trump Administration's approach to Iran.
Iran bill endangers U.S. military in Iraq
Ron Leach, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, discusses how undermining the Iran nuclear deal endangers the lives of American men and women in uniform.
Why President Trump should keep the Iran Deal
Jessica Tuchman Mathews makes the case for President Trump to keep the deal intact based on its technical success.