Iran is complying with nuclear pact but not meeting the 'spirit of the deal’ says US State Department

Iran is complying with nuclear pact but not meeting the 'spirit of the deal’ says US State Department
US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said that while Iran is complying with the nuclear agreement, the country remains a threat to the stability of the region / Flickr US Dept of State
By bne IntelliNews July 18, 2017

US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, notified the US Congress on July 17 that while Iran is complying with the nuclear agreement, the country remains “one of the most dangerous to US interests in regional stability,” UPI reported.

The State Department was required to tell Congress this week whether Iran was meeting its commitments over the November 2015 nuclear pact which sees all sanctions related to the issue removed for the Islamic Republic’s compliance with non-proliferation.

Speaking with reporters before sitting in Congress, Tillerson said that despite meeting its commitments, “Iran Is unquestionably in default of the spirit,” of the agreement.

State Department officials pointed to several issues ongoing, including Iran’s support of Syrian President Basher al-Assad, while also noting Iran’s continuous badgering of American navy personnel in the Persian Gulf.

"These Iranian activities severely undermine the intent of the deal," one official said.

The official added that they intend to counter Iran’s influence in the region.

The Trump administration and the president himself has on several occasions said the deal was a poorly agreed document.

Meanwhile, the European Union and British officials recently said that Iran is in compliance with all aspects of the deal which was strictly related to the country’s nuclear development.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, wrote an op-ed this week in the Washington Post, suggesting that without the deal the situation could be much worse.

“The truth is that without the nuclear deal, signed two years ago Friday, this scenario [Iran's development of a nuclear bomb] would have come about, adding yet another crisis to the bursting budget of crises in the Middle East,” he wrote on July 13.

He added, “So far, the deal — officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — is working, and we believe it represents the best option for the international community.”

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