UK, France, Germany warn Congress against undermining Iran deal

The three European powers party to the nuclear accord with Iran expressed “concern” with US President Donald Trump’s speech on Friday, in which he threatened to “terminate” it unilaterally.The three US allies – Britain, France and Germany – cautioned Trump and the US Congress against walking down a dangerous path by “taking any steps that might undermine the JCPOA, such as reimposing sanctions on Iran lifted under the agreement.”JCPOA refers to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name of the nuclear agreement.Trump is asking Congress to pass “trigger” legislation that would effectively “snap back” sanctions on Tehran for behavior that was not, to his mind, adequately addressed in the original nuclear agreement.“We, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, take note of President Trump’s decision not to recertify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to Congress and are concerned by the possible implications,” the three nations said in a statement.“We encourage the US administration and Congress to consider the implications to the security of the US and its allies,” they continued, while adding that they share the administration’s concerns with Iran’s ballistic missile activity and support for Shia Islamist extremist organizations region-wide.