Trump may put Iran N-deal to test in Congress

Washington, Oct. 4: President Donald Trump has railed against a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, but officials say that far from scrapping it, he is considering kicking the decision to Congress.

Ahead of an October 15 deadline, several officials familiar with White House deliberations said Mr Trump has made it clear he does not want to certify Iran’s compliance with the accord.

The 2015-era Obama agreement offered Tehran relief from punitive economic sanctions, in return for limits to uranium enrichment and intrusive inspections.

Every 90 days Mr Trump must decide whether the Iran is living up to its end of the bargain, something that has already caused him political pain on two occasions.

The Trump administration has publicly accused Iran of violating the “spirit” of the accord — known as the JCPOA — although some officials privately admit there is a thin line between testing the limits and a material breach.

Mr Trump’s top military advisor, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General James Dunford, has told Congress the briefings he has received “indicate that Iran is adhering to At this point in time, absent indication to the contrary, it is something that the President (nuclear deal) should consider staying with.

Jim Mattis, its JCPOA obligations.”

But Republicans are under domestic political pressure to fulfil campaign and donor promises to scrap the accord.

Mr Trump has called the deal an “embarrassment to the United States” and had urged allies and fellow signatories in London, Paris and Berlin to renegotiate it, something they are unwilling to do.

But now a middle path is being explored, which would make Trump’s opposition clear, but stop short of scrapping the deal outright and perhaps clear the 90-day-review off his desk.