It’s unlikely that Congress will have a comprehensive plan to improve the Iran deal ready by Friday, when the waiver of US sanctions against the Iranian regime is set to expire, the Associated Press reported.
So it’s up to Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser HR McMaster to convince President Donald Trump that there’s enough momentum behind a bipartisan accord on addressing Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for Hezbollah to justify extending the US waiver and keeping the Iran deal intact.
Per AP, any decision to waive broad sanctions would likely be accompanied by targeted sanctions against specific Iranian individuals and companies.
The old, central bank sanctions largely cut Iran out of the international financial system, and are considered to be the most powerful of the penalties imposed by the U.S. during the Obama era, along with global penalties for buying Iranian oil. Some Iran hawks want to see both sets of restrictions return, but the six people with knowledge of Trump’s plans say the president isn’t planning to reinstate either at this point.
The individuals said Trump’s top national security aides appear to have successfully made a different case to the president:
Waiving anew for 120 days the nuclear-linked sanctions while simultaneously imposing new measures to punish Iran’s ballistic missile testing, alleged terrorism support and human rights violations.
Such a balance could satisfy Trump’s demand to raise pressure on Iran, while not embarking on a frontal assault on the most central trade-offs of the nuclear agreement. While the U.S. and other world powers rolled back economic restrictions on Tehran, the Iranians severely curtailed their enrichment of uranium and other nuclear activity. Trump has complained that many of the Iranian restrictions expire next decade and has vacillated between talk of toughening the deal and pulling the U.S. out entirely.
A senior State Department official told reporters Wednesday that Tillerson and Mattis would be meeting with Trump on the matter before an announcement Friday. Trump, Tillerson and Vice President Mike Pence were scheduled to have lunch Wednesday at the White House after a formal Cabinet meeting.
* * *
Meanwhile, if Trump changes his mind in the next few days and decides to reimpose the sanctions, Iran would resume its enrichment of uranium - even seeking to make up for lost time - the country’s atomic energy agency has said, according to Russia Today.
“If the suspension (of sanctions) is not continued it’s a violation of the [Iran nuclear deal] and the Islamic Republic of Iran will, of course, take the necessary actions,” Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told state TV, as quoted by Reuters.
Trump has called the nuclear agreement the “worst deal ever negotiated,” and has stressed that he could cancel US participation in it “at any time,” eve refusing to certify Tehran’s compliance with the deal in October. But Tillerson has been trying to work with Congress to resolve concerns about the INARA - the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act - that cleared the way for the US to sign on to the deal.
That will be coupled with diplomacy with European government on addressing these concerns.
“The president said he is either going to fix it or cancel it,” Tillerson said of the overall deal. “We are in the process of trying to deliver on the promise he made to fix it.”
Still, the fate of the deal is far from certain. Trump is facing significant pushback from hardliners like Senators Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who want sanctions back if Iran launches any ballistic missiles capable of targeting territory outside of Iran, such as Israel or Saudi Arabia. Even intermediate and short-range missiles would fall under this designation.
For now, at least, the deal appears safe. Then again, Trump does have a tendency to change his mind.
Comments
Iran is a member of the UN C24 decolonisation committee and supports Argentina's mythical Malvinas' claim. So much for the human and democratic rights of the Falkland Islanders and so much for that so-called sovereignty claim.
How would a map of the world look today if all of the territory lost and gained over the past 180 years reverted to its 19th century status? Quite a ridiculous proposal.
Falklands – Acquisitive Prescription(1 pg): https://www.academia.edu/35552595/Falklands_-Acquisitive_Prescription
Also applies to Texas, California etc
Bob, what exactly are you trying to accomplish with your constant Falkland Island postings?
Are you trying to make a compelling point and affirm that it's a British territory?
You seem angry about all this.
In reply to Iran is a member of the UN… by BritBob
he glows in the dark
In reply to Bob, what exactly are you… by Dukes
PedoBob is a member of NAMBLA and needs a remote rocky island for summer camp for boys.
In reply to Iran is a member of the UN… by BritBob
So who is getting the weaponry being covertly channeled through Iran?
You got to know when hold em, know when to fold em,
Trump blinked or all the heat internationally coming from his jewruselem capital statements to every other action that has the world ready to give the one finger waive to the US and their green toilet paper must have someone reconsidering coming in the back door
they will never stop going after Iran there's another strategy they're trying
In reply to So who is getting the… by Joe Davola
#GreatestNegotiatorEver
In reply to You got to know when hold em… by peopledontwanttruth
Worked for him 4 times
In reply to #GreatestNegotiatorEver by NugginFuts
Donald Trump is a sack of shit. He got elected by trolling the left and not he will be unelected by trolling the right.
Do you mean by doing things like this.
Talks big until it's his banksters buddies
http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/trump-administration-waives-pu…
In reply to Donald Trump is a sack of… by BigWillyStyle887
"central bank sanctions"
Would that be the Zionist central bank system
Change his mind? What mind? Though orange said it was worst deal ever ... but he continues it. Maybe it's not the worst deal ever, seems like it works. Just shows, all orange can do is bitch, moan and complain. Angry, old, incompetent grump. Less than useless.
War With Iran
1. would revive our lethargic populace
2. put the Treasury's surplus cash to work to earn a good return
3. find some use for our ungodly expensive weapons
4. after decades of failure, our military can finally redeem themselves
5. spur the American tattoo industry
6. reduce code-violating mud-walled village construction
7. show Tsar Putin, Xi, Kim and Pakistan that we rule central Asia
with an iron fist and the backing of the Old Testament's angry genocidal God.
My patience is wearing very thin with DJT. He better start living up to his promises and doing the right things or imma jumping in w/the dems to bury this fool.
Curious. He's all in on so many other stupid moves, like authorizing using nukes in response to conventional attacks on "critical infrastructure".