The Iran nuclear deal will have to be improved or discarded by U.S. President Donald Trump, a senior Israeli Minister said on Monday. Speaking to The Hindu , Deputy Minister of Diplomacy in the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Michael Oren, said the agreement was not serving the purpose as it allows Iran to pursue an aggressive regional policy.
“Fix it or nix it — that is the position I have suggested about the Iran nuclear deal. We have to take into account that Iran is continuously developing long range ballistic missiles that is against the safety and security of the region and needs to be halted,” Mr. Oren said. He added that Iran’s behaviour needs to change and a new and better deal would have to be negotiated.
Ahead of Trump move
Mr. Oren’s comments came even as President Trump is reportedly considering ‘decertifying’ the deal on October 15 when he has to certify to the U.S. Congress that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
President Trump described the deal as an “embarrassment” during his speech at the UN.
The decertification is likely to impact Iran’s global interactions, including those with India, as the JCPOA had lifted a whole range of sanctions that had restricted Tehran’s trade links with the world.
Mr. Oren, who will address policy makers at the Indian Council of World Affairs on October 10 on Israeli foreign policy options, said the Iran nuclear deal has loopholes. In a recent article published in a U.S. newspaper he argued that the alternative to JCPOA is not war but a better deal.
Not a regional power
He also claimed that Iran would not emerge as a regional power in West Asia. Iranian influence is perceived as growing especially after the government of Bashar Assad in Syria, which is backed by Tehran, is seen as emerging victorious in the war against IS. Mr. Oren, however, said the war in Syria has not ended.
Mr. Oren indicated that various commercial contracts awarded to a number of U.S. companies following the nuclear deal would have to be re-evaluated as Iran has not halted its ballistic missile programme.
