President Trump’s administration on Tuesday notified Congress that Iran is complying with the 2015 nuclear deal, but the secretary of state says the agreement is nonetheless under review.
The deal, negotiated by President Obama, paved the way to sanctions relief for the Islamic Republic, and Trump’s administration said Tuesday it would extend the sanctions relief in light of the country’s cooperation, the Associated Press reported. But U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan that the lifting of sanctions is under review despite Tehran’s compliance, because the country “remains a leading state sponsor of terror, through many platforms and methods,” according to the report. The review will seek to determine whether lifting sanctions would be “vital to the national security interests of the United States,” Tillerson wrote.
A certification of Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal is required every 90 days, and this marks the first time Trump’s administration has provided it. Trump was highly critical of the nuclear deal during his campaign, with some predicting he would find ways to scrap it. Just a day before the White House confirmed Iran’s compliance with the agreement, a report from Foreign Policy said the administration was considering imposing stricter versions of existing sanctions on Tehran, a move that analysts fear could lead to more tensions. Read more.
{Matzav}
