Trump Recertifies Iran Nuclear Deal but Only Reluctantly
WASHINGTON â  President Trump  agreed on Monday to certify again that Iran is complying with an international nuclear agreement that  he  has strongly criticized  but only after hours of arguing with  his  top national security advisers  briefly upending a planned announcement as a legal deadline loomed.
 Mr. Trump  has repeatedly condemned the deal brokered by President Barack Obama as a dangerous capitulation to Iran  but six months into  his  presidency  he  has not abandoned it. The decision on Monday was the second time  his  administration certified Iranâs compliance  and aides said  a frustrated Mr. Trump  had told  his  security team that  he  would not keep doing so indefinitely.
Administration officials announced the certification on Monday evening while emphasizing that they intended to toughen enforcement of the deal  apply new sanctions on Iran for its support of terrorism and other destabilizing activities  and negotiate with European partners to craft a broader strategy to increase pressure on Tehran. Aides said  Mr. Trump  had insisted on such actions before agreeing to the consensus recommendation of  his  national security team.
â The president  has made very clear that  he  thought this was a bad deal â a bad deal for the United States â Sean Spicer  the White House press secretary  told reporters at a briefing on Monday before the decision was made.
At an hourlong meeting last Wednesday  all of  the presidentâs  major security advisers recommended  he  preserve the Iran deal for now. Among those who spoke out were Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson; Defense Secretary Jim Mattis; Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster  the national security adviser; and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr.  the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  according to an official who described internal discussions on the condition of anonymity. The official said  Mr. Trump  had spent 55 minutes of the meeting telling them  he  did not want to.
 Mr. Trump  did not want to certify Iranâs compliance the first time around either  but was talked into it on the condition that  his  team come back with a new strategy to confront Tehran  the official said. Last week  advisers told the president they needed more time to work with allies and Congress.  Mr. Trump  responded that before  he  would go along  they had to meet certain conditions  said the official  who would not outline what the conditions were.
While  Mr. Trump  headed to Paris and then spent the weekend in New Jersey   his  team developed a strategy that it hoped would satisfy  him  and planned to notify Congress and make the case publicly on Monday. But even as allies were quietly being informed   Mr. Trump  balked when  he  heard the plan at  his  morning security briefing  the official said. The argument continued during a separate meeting with Mr. Tillerson as  Mr. Trump  pressed for more action  the official said.
Suddenly  a background briefing to announce the decision was postponed and Mr. Spicer was sent out to assure reporters that a decision would be coming âvery shortly â while aides scrambled to satisfy  Mr. Trump .  He  agreed only late in the day after a final meeting in the Oval Office  in effect telling  his  advisers that  he  was giving them another chance and this time they had to deliver. The announcement was then rescheduled for the early evening and a notice was sent to Congress to continue withholding nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.
That Mr. Trumpâs actions will satisfy conservatives who have been urging him to rip up the Iran deal seemed unlikely. In a column in The Hill  a Capitol Hill newspaper  John R. Bolton  a former ambassador to the United Nations who has interviewed with the president for several jobs in the administration  argued that the nuclear agreement âremains palpably harmful to American national interests.â Withdrawing from it  he said  âshould be the highest priority.â
Israel and its supporters in Washington have also bristled at a new cease-fire in southwest Syria that was brokered by  Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia   fearing it will leave Iran as a major player on the ground in the six-year civil war. Mr. Spicer said the administration would address that with Israel. âThereâs a shared interest that we have with Israel  making sure that Iran does not gain a foothold  military base-wise  in southern Syria â Mr. Spicer said.
Tehranâs clerical government argues that  Mr. Trump  has already violated the nuclear agreement by pressuring businesses not to engage with Iran even though the nuclear sanctions have been lifted. âThat is violation of not the spirit but of the letter of the J.C.P.O.A. of the nuclear deal â Mohammad Javad Zarif  Iranâs foreign minister  said on CNNâs âFareed Zakaria GPSâ on Sunday  using the initials for the agreement.
Mr. Zarif  visiting New York  told a gathering of the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday that  he has yet to talk with Mr. Tillerson  unlike his frequent conversations with former Secretary of State John Kerry  with whom he negotiated the nuclear accord .
That would be an outcome welcomed by  the Trump administration . Top officials like Mr. Tillerson and Mr. Mattis have expressed concern about the effect on American relations with European allies if  Mr. Trump  were to unilaterally pull out  especially after  he  already announced  his  intention to back out of the Paris climate change accord that Europeans strongly support.
 Mr. Trump  has aligned the United States with Sunni Arab states  like Saudi Arabia  as well as Israel in their mutual struggle with Shiite-led Iran over control of the Middle East.  His  administration has already announced modest new sanctions against Iran  but nothing on the scale of those imposed before the nuclear agreement.
WASHINGTON â   [TGT] agreed on Monday to certify again that Iran is complying with an international nuclear agreement that   [TGT]   has strongly criticized  but only after hours of arguing with   [TGT]   top national security advisers  briefly upending a planned announcement as a legal deadline loomed.
  [TGT] has repeatedly condemned the deal brokered by President Barack Obama as a dangerous capitulation to Iran  but six months into   [TGT]   presidency   [TGT]   has not abandoned it. The decision on Monday was the second time   [TGT]   administration certified Iranâs compliance  and aides said   [TGT] had told   [TGT]   security team that   [TGT]   would not keep doing so indefinitely.
Administration officials announced the certification on Monday evening while emphasizing that they intended to toughen enforcement of the deal  apply new sanctions on Iran for its support of terrorism and other destabilizing activities  and negotiate with European partners to craft a broader strategy to increase pressure on Tehran. Aides said   [TGT] had insisted on such actions before agreeing to the consensus recommendation of   [TGT]   national security team.
â The president  has made very clear that  he  thought this was a bad deal â a bad deal for the United States â Sean Spicer  the White House press secretary  told reporters at a briefing on Monday before the decision was made.
At an hourlong meeting last Wednesday  all of  the presidentâs  major security advisers recommended  he  preserve the Iran deal for now. Among those who spoke out were Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson; Defense Secretary Jim Mattis; Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster  the national security adviser; and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr.  the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  according to an official who described internal discussions on the condition of anonymity. The official said   [TGT] had spent 55 minutes of the meeting telling them   [TGT]   did not want to.
  [TGT] did not want to certify Iranâs compliance the first time around either  but was talked into it on the condition that   [TGT]   team come back with a new strategy to confront Tehran  the official said. Last week  advisers told the president they needed more time to work with allies and Congress.   [TGT] responded that before   [TGT]   would go along  they had to meet certain conditions  said the official  who would not outline what the conditions were.
While   [TGT] headed to Paris and then spent the weekend in New Jersey    [TGT]   team developed a strategy that it hoped would satisfy   [TGT]   and planned to notify Congress and make the case publicly on Monday. But even as allies were quietly being informed    [TGT] balked when   [TGT]   heard the plan at   [TGT]   morning security briefing  the official said. The argument continued during a separate meeting with Mr. Tillerson as   [TGT] pressed for more action  the official said.
Suddenly  a background briefing to announce the decision was postponed and  [TGT]  was sent out to assure reporters that a decision would be coming âvery shortly â while aides scrambled to satisfy   [TGT]  .   [TGT]   agreed only late in the day after a final meeting in the Oval Office  in effect telling   [TGT]   advisers that   [TGT]   was giving them another chance and this time they had to deliver. The announcement was then rescheduled for the early evening and a notice was sent to Congress to continue withholding nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.
That Mr. Trumpâs actions will satisfy conservatives who have been urging  [TGT]  to rip up the Iran deal seemed unlikely. In a column in The Hill  a Capitol Hill newspaper  John R. Bolton  a former ambassador to the United Nations who has interviewed with the president for several jobs in the administration  argued that the nuclear agreement âremains palpably harmful to American national interests.â Withdrawing from it  he said  âshould be the highest priority.â
Israel and its supporters in Washington have also bristled at a new cease-fire in southwest Syria that was brokered by   [TGT] fearing it will leave Iran as a major player on the ground in the six-year civil war. Mr. Spicer said the administration would address that with Israel. âThereâs a shared interest that we have with Israel  making sure that Iran does not gain a foothold  military base-wise  in southern Syria â Mr. Spicer said.
Tehranâs clerical government argues that   [TGT] has already violated the nuclear agreement by pressuring businesses not to engage with Iran even though the nuclear sanctions have been lifted. âThat is violation of not the spirit but of the letter of the J.C.P.O.A. of the nuclear deal â Mohammad Javad Zarif  Iranâs foreign minister  said on CNNâs âFareed Zakaria GPSâ on Sunday  using the initials for the agreement.
Mr. Zarif  visiting New York  told a gathering of the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday that  he has yet to talk with Mr. Tillerson  unlike his frequent conversations with former Secretary of State John Kerry  with whom he negotiated the nuclear accord .
That would be an outcome welcomed by  [TGT]  . Top officials like Mr. Tillerson and Mr. Mattis have expressed concern about the effect on American relations with European allies if   [TGT] were to unilaterally pull out  especially after   [TGT]   already announced   [TGT]   intention to back out of the Paris climate change accord that Europeans strongly support.
  [TGT] has aligned the United States with Sunni Arab states  like Saudi Arabia  as well as Israel in their mutual struggle with Shiite-led Iran over control of the Middle East.   [TGT]  has already announced modest new sanctions against Iran  but nothing on the scale of those imposed before the nuclear agreement.