President Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal because he could not affirm that Tehran was living up to the agreement, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.
Mattis told a Senate committee that the decision was not “hasty” and the U.S. will now focus on working with allies to press Iran on ending malign activities across the Middle East such as ballistic missile development and support of terrorism.
[FULL REMARKS: Trump’s announcement withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal]
Trump followed through with a campaign pledge Tuesday when he withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that eased sanctions in return for Iran stopping its nuclear program. Mattis, as well as other top Trump administration officials, had testified to Congress previously that Tehran was in compliance with the deal.
“I believe what has happened is the president could not affirm as required that this agreement was being lived up to and in the best interests in all aspects of what was supposed to be happening under the JCPOA,” Mattis said in defense budget testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Trump pointed to what he called “definitive proof” provided by Israel that the Iranians had lied about seeking nuclear weapons before the deal was brokered by the Obama administration.
Key European allies France, Germany and the United Kingdom had all lobbied Trump to remain in the deal prior to his decision Tuesday, and now the future of the JCPOA is uncertain. The allies and Tehran have indicated they may continue without the U.S.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said scrapping the deal was “not only wrong but reckless” because it ended inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities and created tensions with the allies.
“We have had under this agreement inspectors on the ground who have reported to us directly and personally in the United States Senate,” Durbin said. “We are forsaking the opportunity to continue to monitor in detail the work done by Iran to make certain they live up to its terms.”
