On 13 October, US President Donald Trump outlined his “strategy” toward Iran and announced that he would not certify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This came despite widespread assertions from the other parties to the agreement – the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China, as well as the EU - that Iran has complied. Mr Trump has long flirted with the Iran nuclear but the decision to decertify marks the first concrete step since he was elected president.
Following the heated initial reactions to Mr Trump’s decision, a sense of discombobulation set in. His decertification neither nullified the JCPOA nor reimposed nuclear proliferation-related sanctions; rather, by US law, it gave Congress a 60-day period to reimpose sanctions through a streamlined process. Until Congress acts on the matter, the US and its allies, Iran, and the private sector will remain in geopolitical purgatory. (CONTINUED - 1044 WORDS)
