Iran Focus

London, 5 Oct – There are many reports that Donald Trump looks set to decertify the Iran nuclear deal at the October 15 deadline, despite certain advisers trying to stop him.

A White House source, who has been briefed on deliberations in the Pentagon and State Department said that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is reportedly still trying to convince Trump, and others who disagree with decertification “are now adjusting to the reality it is going to happen”.

The source also said that they are negotiating the wording Trump will use for decertification, which will likely be accompanied by the new US policy on Iran.

Iran Focus

London, 5 Oct – US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that Donald Trump would be presented with several options for the future of the Iran nuclear deal ahead of the October 15 certification deadline.

When Tillerson made this announcement, on Wednesday October 4, he did not reveal any details about the options that would be presented to Trump and declined to answer whether he shared the view that Defense Secretary James Mattis shared with Congress on Tuesday that Iran was “fundamentally” in compliance with the nuclear deal and Trump should stick to the deal.

Iran Focus

London, 5 Oct – Donald Trump is set to announce his decision on the future of the Iran nuclear deal along with the new US policy on Iran, on Thursday, October 12.

In this speech, he is expected to state that the 2015 nuclear agreement, which provides sanctions relief to Iran in exchange for restrictions on their nuclear programme, is not in the best interests of US national security.

By October 15, Trump will have to tell Congress whether the Iranian Regime is in compliance with the deal and if it aligns with US interests. Considering that Trump has already referred to the deal as one of the “worst and most one-sided transactions” ever, it is unlikely that he would choose to certify Iran’s compliance for a third time this year.

Iran Focus

London, 5 Oct – One of the lead negotiators for the Iranian Regime on the 2015 nuclear deal has reportedly been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of spying, according to a Regime-affiliated news agency.

While Wednesday’s report did not name the person convicted, the only negotiator known to be facing charges was Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani, who holds dual Iranian-Canadian nationality.

If Esfahani is the person, he would be the latest in a long line of dual-nationals to be arrested and detained on dubious national security charges since the deal was signed, in what the United Nations described as an “emerging pattern”.

Iran Focus

London, 4 Oct – A Republican senator from Arkansas has prepared a way for Donald Trump to distance the US from the failed 2015 nuclear agreement, without new sanctions, military action, or the Iranian Regime’s immediate withdrawal from the deal.

Tom Cotton said that Trump should decertify Iran’s compliance at the October 15 deadline and allow Congress to approve a list of demands, which Trump could then submit for the approval of European allies, who are part of the deal and reluctant to leave it altogether.

On Tuesday, October 3, during an event held hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Cotton, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said: “The Congress and president should lay out how the deal should change and the consequences for Iran.

Iran Focus

London, 3 Oct – Following the Iranian Regime’s recent unveiling of a previously unseen medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) and their claims to have conducted a successful flight-test of the missile, many Iran hawks and missile experts jumped into action.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a Senior Iran Analyst at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, prepared an FAQ to provide a nuanced understanding of Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and intentions to those who don’t generally follow the development of the Iranian Regime too closely.