Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary James Mattis praised the P5+1 nuclear deal. These comments come just weeks ahead of President Trump’s May 12 ultimatum to withdraw from the deal if changes aren’t agreed to.
Mattis told the senators that the verification system is “robust,” and that gives the IAEA “intrusive ability” to check on Iran’s compliance. He in particularly praised what he believes was a deal “written almost with an assumption that Iran would try to cheat.”
While Mattis didn’t offer any specific complaints about the deal, he did echo President Trump’s calls to “repair” the deal. He noted the US is working with EU allies to decide in repairs are enough or if President Trump needs to withdraw from the deal.
Trump and his cabinet are believed to differ on the merits of the P5+1 deal, with Trump opposing the deal and most believing it is too valuable to lose. Mattis’ comments clearly put him in the pro-deal camp, as his praise for the verification in the deal comes as oversight remains one of Trump’s main complaints. Trump has demanded the IAEA be given access to non-nuclear sites that the IAEA itself insists it doesn’t want to visit at all.
Trump has never annunciated why this is a “bad deal, the worst deal ever…”
It seems yet another attempt to appease the hardline regime in Israel.
Be careful Mr. Trump, the Israel war drums are beating loudly in the direction of Iran.
US Presidents are always concerned with their ‘legacies’, it would be a shame to have a (possible) third world war as yours…
You’re right on that, Donna, Trump never gave the reason for this nuclear deal a “bad deal, the worst deal ever…” As you correctly said, it’s an attempt to appease the hardline regime in Israel. He’d better be careful, Bibzy Satanyahoo’s beating the war drums loudly in the direction of Iran, and he (Trump) had better cut all ties with him and his brutal regime.
I agree, US Presidents are always concerned with their “legacies”, it would be real shame to have a (possible) 3rd world war as Trump’s.
Oh, btw, what’s ever happened to the bribery and corruption charges against Bibzy? Is the Israeli Supreme Court going ahead with those charges?
Hi Eileen:
It seems doubtful about Bibi facing actual charges… Besides, all Bibi has to do is start bombing this one or that and people will be sufficiently distracted. (!)
(I think they did nail his wife on servant abuse or some such thing. Regardless, their lack of character speaks for itself. And yet the world does nothing when Israel continues to violate UN resolutions and International law! Oh wait, the US is at the helm of all that…)
A marriage made in hell.
best-dv
Israel still seems to think a war on Iran would be easy. It is practising on Syria after 7 years of destruction by many forces, which is not the same as ready-with-allies Iran.
Mattis is likely on his way out. An honest appraisal isn’t going to be welcome in the District of Corruption.
Mattis also doesn’t have a billion dollars to give Trump for his re-election campaign.
America has a problem and it has had this problem for two centuries, it can never stick to a treaty….. We have seen the US Break treaties for well over 200 years internally and externally! If it wants to break a treaty it sends in its Military or uses its financial clout to attempt to cajole its victim into doing what it wants, if that doesn’t happen it has no compulsion not to fund coups to topple the Government elected or otherwise! Just remember that the Iran we have today is not the Iran that we probably would have had if the US had not overthrown its elected Government, who had the Temerity to want the revenue for the oil that was under their country at an equitable rate. Anglo Iranian oil (to become BP) complained the US overthrew the elected Government and installed a puppet Dictator, there would have been no Iranian Revolution at all if the US had have let the Democracy evolve! We wouldn’t have Nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula either but for Bush and his UN Ambassador John Bonkers Bolton shutting down the deal that saw the plutonium making nuclear power plant shut down. Bonkers and Bush made certain that that deal was scrapped, and yes the Senate had approved the deal so it was an International treaty.
Any treaty that the USA agrees to is for the OTHER side to adhere to. Not the USA. Should the other side break the agreement then THEY are the offending party. That, of course, gives grounds for sanctions, regime change, military intervention or whatever. In fact, now that I think about it, there doesn’t even have to be a treaty. Any excuse will do.
The USA is always right.
….So why bother with a treaty anyway.
Well said!!!
Rouhani is correct that Trump has no idea of international behavior. In no other “advanced” nation could such a person become the leader (perhaps in the UK now Mrs Mayhem has shown the way!).
Mattis might be called the “mad dog” but clearly he is the only rational person in that cabinet.
Looks like Trump and Mattis are playing worse cop, bad cop on a renegotiated Iran deal.