US national security experts support preserving the JCPOA

A bipartisan group of more than 100 national security experts believes that the United States will gain nothing from withdrawing from the JCPOA. The group has released a statement outlining its reasons.

The New York Times reported on its website a bipartisan group statement on the JCPOA that includes more than 100 US national security experts, including 50 retired military officials as well as four former US ambassadors to Israel.

The diplomatic and military figures who signed and published this statement are from both the Democratic and Republican parties and have a long history of activities and decades of experience in the field of foreign policy.

In its statement, this cross-partisan group addressed the US approach to the nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic and the JCPOA; an agreement that US President Donald Trump has called the "worst deal" in US history.

This group has chosen the title “National Coalition to Prevent Iran from Obtaining a Nuclear Weapon” and in its statement has presented 10 arguments in favor of preserving the JCPOA. The group believes that the US withdrawal from the JCPOA will not bring any gains for this country.

Inspections by UN experts, maintaining close relations with European allies, and the possibility of reaching a nuclear agreement with North Korea are among the points mentioned by the group in its statement.

The necessity for Trump to adhere to America's commitments

The statement from the group, which includes members from both major parties, states, among other things: "President Trump must fulfill his commitment to the nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic. This will have significant benefits and strengthen America's leverage in making deals with North Korea and Iran. It will also strengthen America's credibility in keeping its word and America's influence in carrying out its strategic role in the world."

Ryan Crocker, former US ambassador to Middle East countries including Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon, Brent Scowcroft, former US National Security Advisor, Michael Hayden, former director of the US National Security Agency and CIA, and William J. Fallon, former commander of US Central Command, are among the prominent signatories of this statement.

It is said that US President Donald Trump may decide to withdraw the United States from the JCPOA within the next two months.

Trump believes that the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) has not prevented the Islamic Republic from continuing its controversial missile programs, has not stopped the country's "destabilizing" actions in the region, and has not included an appropriate time limit on Iran's nuclear activities.

According to the resolution of the US Congress, the president must decide in 120-day periods whether to suspend nuclear sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Trump last extended the suspension of sanctions on January 12, 2019. He also stated that this was probably the “last time” and that repeating it would require amending the JCPOA.

Iran's readiness to deal with different scenarios

According to Abbas Araqchi, the Islamic Republic's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Iran has been preparing itself for various scenarios regarding the JCPOA for months.

He stated on Monday (March 26) that European countries and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, have repeatedly said that the JCPOA is a security agreement and directly deals with regional and international security, and that the consequences of any disruption to it will be "serious" for the international community.

Although European countries emphasize the importance of preserving the JCPOA, the positions of Britain, France, and Germany in recent weeks have come closer to those of Donald Trump, at least on the regional role of the Islamic Republic and Iran's ballistic missile programs. They believe that Iran's missile program should be examined separately, despite growing concerns.