Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, spokesman for the Iranian Administration Mohammad Baqer Nobakht declared that the Islamic Republic is poised to give “a strong and firm response” to a possible move by the US government to leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stressing that the country has made various preparations for the possible withdrawal of the US from it. The remarks came as US President Donald Trump must decide whether to waive nuclear sanctions on Iran or effectively end the United States’ participation in the nuclear agreement. In October, Trump announced he would not certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear agreement negotiated under the previous administration because it was “in violation of the spirit” of the accord. The Trump administration asked Congress then to come up with and pass a companion agreement that addresses those issues and to modify the legislation that gives lawmakers the authority to slap sanctions on Iran if it decides Tehran is in violation of the nuclear agreement, outlining “trigger points” instead that set off automatic sanctions. Last week, Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State, said that Trump would be inclined to authorize another sanctions waiver if real progress was being made toward the changes he demanded in October.
