President-electDonaldTrumpisbeingurgednottowithdrawtheUnitedStatesfromtheinternationalnuclearagreementwithIran.
MembersofTrump’sRepublicanPartyandotheropponentsaresayingitisbettertokeeptheexistingagreementandtrytoimproveit.
Trumpstronglycriticizedthenuclearagreementduringhispresidentialcampaign.Hecalledita“disaster”andthe“worstdealevernegotiated.”
Duringaspeechtoapro-IsraelgroupinMarch,Trumpsaidaspresident,hewouldseektoend“thedisastrousdealwithIran.”
However,IranandU.S.alliesinEuropehaveurgedthenewadministrationtohonortheagreement.ThedealwassignedbyIranandsixworldpowersinJuly2015.IteasedeconomicsanctionsonIraninexchangeforlimitsonTehran’snuclearprogram.
Iranhasrejectedcallstorenegotiatetheagreement.IranianForeignMinisterMohammadJavadZarifurgedTrumplastweektohonorthedeal,sayingitwasnotanagreement"foronesidetobeabletoscrap.”
U.S.SecretaryofStateJohnKerrytookaleadroleinnegotiatingtheagreementandcalledit“thegooddealwehadsought.”ButmanyRepublicansintheU.S.Congresshavebeenhighlycriticalofit.
Thedealwascreatedasapoliticalcommitmentratherthanatreaty.TheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilresolutionthatapproveditdoesnotrequireitsmemberstoacceptit.Legalexpertssaythismeansthenewadministrationcouldsimplytakenoactionifitchoosestodoso.
EdwardSwaineisalawprofessoratGeorgeWashingtonUniversityandaformerlegaladvisertotheU.S.StateDepartment.HesaidtheU.S.wouldnotfaceanydirectinternationallegalconsequencesifitdecidedtopulloutoftheagreement.
However,someopponentsinCongresshavechangedearlieropinionsthattheagreementshouldbecanceled.TheyarenowcallingfortightersanctionsonIranandfortheagreementtobestrictlyenforced.
SenatorBobCorkerofTennesseeischairmanoftheSenateForeignRelationsCommittee.Hesaidthisweekhedoesnotthink“tearinguptheagreement”istherightthingtodo.HetoldreportersMondayhethinksWashingtonshouldworkwithitsalliestoenforcetheexistingagreementwithoutnegotiatinganewdeal.
“Tomethebestrouteforthenewpresidenttohandlethisistopushbackontheviolationsthataretakingplacetoday,”CorkerwasquotedbytheTimesFreePressnewspaperassaying.
CorkersaidthenucleardealmadeitpossibleforIrantogetback“billionsofdollars”ofmoneyseizedbytheU.S.Headdedthatovertime,theagreementmeansIrancould“endupinamuchstrongerpositionthantheywereinthebeginning.”
TheFoundationfortheDefenseofDemocracies,aconservativeresearchorganizationinWashingtonD.C.,agrees.Thegroupwasanearlysupporterofa"stoptheIrannucleardeal"campaignandurgedmembersofCongresstoblockthedeal.However,thegroupnowopposescancelingit.
OrdeKittrieisaseniorfellowatthefoundation.HesaysiftheU.S.withdrewfromthedeal,Iranwouldfeelfreetoignoretherestrictionsonitsnuclearprogram.Hesaiditwouldalsobeveryhardtobringbacksanctionsiftheagreementisrenegotiated.
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