The President’s case for scrapping the Iranian nuclear agreement was undermined by his Director of National Intelligence on Tuesday.
Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, DNI Dan Coats testified that undoing the agreement could diminish US intel on Iran’s capabilities.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as it’s formally known, was implemented in 2015 during the Obama administration. The framework has long been the focus of derision from Republican lawmakers and the new administration.
In submitted testimony to the Senate panel on Tuesday, however, Director Coats noted how the agreement is beneficial for intelligence purposes.
“The JCPOA has also enhanced the transparency of Iran’s nuclear activities, mainly by fostering improved access to Iranian nuclear facilities for the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and its investigative authorities,” Coats stated.
The deal required Iran to eliminate stockpiles of nuclear material, modify its uranium enrichment practices, and submit to regular checks from IAEA inspectors. In exchange, Iran received relief from nuclear-related sanctions, and access to billions of dollars in assets locked in the US.
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) used the director’s testimony to further press Coats on the harmful effects of shredding the JCPOA.
“If the Iran agreement were abrogated we would lose that visibility into the Iran nuclear enterprise, isn’t that correct?” King asked.
“It potentially could diminish,” Coats said. The spy director did claim that US spies have also “built a number of capacities relative to that even since the agreement.”
Despite all of President Trump’s bluster about the nuclear deal, his administration has certified it every 120 days. The renewals acknowledge Iran’s ongoing compliance and prevent new sanctions from taking effect.
The certifications are usually accompanied with threats to withdraw in the future.
Most recently in January, the White House kept the deal in place while the President said in a statement: “Fix the deal’s disastrous flaws, or the United States will withdraw.”
Trump warned at the time: “This is a last chance.”
