WASHINGTON -- The United States would announce its decision on recertifying the Iran nuclear deal on Friday (Jan. 12), US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Steve Goldstein said in a briefing on Tuesday.
"Secretary [of State Rex Tillerson] will be meeting with President [Donald Trump] and [Defense] Secretary [James] Mattis. And we’d expect the decision [on the waiver] on Friday," Goldstein told journalists.
The multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or simply "nuclear deal" is aimed at ensuring the Islamic Republic from acquiring a nuclear weapon for at least 13 years.
In October, Trump refused to certify that Iran was in compliance with the agreement but stopped short of pulling the United States out of the pact, which also included the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, and China.
Trump now faces a Jan. 13 deadline on recertifying the deal, with US officials predicting that the president will again refuse to certify Iran’s compliance, while some expect Trump to take an additional step of imposing new sanctions on Tehran.
The president also faces a series of deadlines this month on whether to extend sanctions waivers. (Sputnik)
