Trump Waives Iran Nuclear Sanctions in What He Calls 'Last Chance' for JCPOA
Tehran (KNA): President Donald Trump has reluctantly agreed not to reimpose nuclear sanctions on Iran, but said it would be the last time he issues such a waiver, according to the White House.
Trump said Friday he wanted America's European allies to use the 120-day period before sanctions relief again comes up for renewal to agree to tougher measures and new conditions, otherwise, he noted, Washington would pull out of the deal.
"Today, I am waiving the application of certain nuclear sanctions, but only in order to secure our European allies' agreement to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal. This is a last chance," Trump said in a statement.
"I have outlined two possible paths forward: either fix the deal's disastrous flaws, or the United States will withdraw," he said.
The agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached between Iran and six world powers -- the US, the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany -- in July, 2015.
The deal puts limitations on parts of Iran's peaceful nuclear program in exchange for removing all nuclear-related sanctions.
Trump said that he was willing to work "with Congress on bipartisan legislation regarding Iran. But any bill I sign must include four critical components."
He said, first, Iran must "allow immediate inspections at all sites requested by international inspectors."
However, since the JCPOA Implementation, the IAEA has been verifying and monitoring Iran's compliance with its nuclear-related commitments under the nuclear deal and has consistently verified the Islamic Republic's compliance.
Second, the president added that the bill "must ensure that Iran never even comes close to possessing a nuclear weapon," but Tehran itself has always asserted that it never sought to build a nuclear weapon.
Third, Trump noted that "unlike the nuclear deal, these provisions must have no expiration date."
His administartion has been upset at the deal's "sunset clauses" that will put an end to restrictions on Iran's nuclear program after a few years as well as the agreement's "total silence on Iran's missile programs."
Finally, he said, "the legislation must explicitly state in United States law-for the first time-that long-range missile and nuclear weapons programs are inseparable, and that Iran's development and testing of missiles should be subject to severe sanctions."
Source: press tv