Trump’s security aides voice support for Iran nuclear deal
WASHINGTON — Several of President Donald Trump’s top national security advisers are urging him to stay in the Iran nuclear accord as the White House faces a looming deadline on whether to let Congress help determine the fate of the landmark disarmament deal.
Under U.S. law, Trump must tell Congress by Oct. 15 whether Iran is in compliance with the 2015 pact. Trump is leaning toward saying Iran is not, according to a person close to the White House, although the president has not made a final decision.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told a news conference Wednesday that he and other senior aides will give Trump “a couple of options” on how to proceed. “We’ll have a recommendation for the president,” Tillerson said, describing the nuclear deal as “only a small part” of U.S. concerns with Iran.
But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both told Congress on Tuesday that the nuclear accord has made the U.S. safer and they support keeping it intact.
“I believe at this point in time, absent indications to the contrary, it is something that the president should consider staying with,” Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Sen. Angus King, IMaine, asked Mattis whether he believed it was in the U.S.’s national security interest to stay in the deal, which required Iran to destroy or disable most of its nuclear infrastructure in exchange for sanctions relief.
“Yes, Senator, I do,” Mattis replied. He later told the House Armed Services Committee that U.S. intelligence supports assessments by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, that Iran is in compliance.
During the campaign last year, Trump repeatedly vowed to rip up the Iran deal. After he took office he ordered a review of U.S. policy on Iran that is still underway. White House officials now are preparing a harsh speech on Iran that Trump could deliver as soon as next week.
It would allow the president to explain why he believes Iran is not in full compliance, and to air his complaints about Iran’s ballistic missile program, its support for terrorist groups and other activities that are not covered under the nuclear agreement.
If Trump decides not to certify that Iran is in compliance, or declare that the nuclear deal is not vital to U.S. national security interests, Congress has 60 days to act.
If lawmakers decide to reimpose nuclear-related sanctions without clear evidence of Iranian violations, which they could do with a simple majority of votes in the Senate, the U.S. would have reneged on its end of the agreement and Iran has said it would consider the deal void.