Decertifying Iran ‘Hands Tool to Iran Hardliners’

President Trump announced on Friday that he will not certify Iran’s compliance to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. “We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror, and the very real threat of Iran’s nuclear breakout.” This move bounces the deal’s future back to Congress, which can now decide whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran, essentially determining the future of the JCPOA. The Cipher Brief spoke with former Acting Director of the CIA and Cipher Brief Expert John McLaughlin, who tells that this sends a signal to countries around the world that the United States does not hold up to its agreements. 

The Cipher Brief: What impact does decertification have on the deal’s future and effectiveness?