Sputnik- The Iran nuclear agreement is "on life support," incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said January 15, but he wouldn't say whether, in the end, it might survive a Trump administration.

President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on�promises to "tear up" the historic deal that swapped sanctions relief for�commitments from�Iran to�end its uranium enrichment programs, limit its nuclear fuel stockpiles and allow international observers into�its nuclear power and research facilities. His rhetoric has softened somewhat recently, to�include terms like "renegotiate" rather than "dismantle."

"We all know that President-elect Trump doesn't like�the Iran deal, thinks it's a terrible document, thinks it will create a nuclear arms race in�the Middle East," Priebus said.

However, the decision on�what to�do with�the deal would be a collective one, he explained. Trump will get his Cabinet, the intelligence community and "everyone you'd want in�the room making decisions about�that particular document" and treaties like�it. When pressed on�whether chucking the deal could still be considered a promise, Trump's chief of�staff said, "I think it's on�life support, I'll put it that way, but�I'm not here to�declare one way or the other ultimately where this is going to�go." Some of�the members of�the team Priebus said would be in�on the decision have not taken as�strong a position as�the president-elect.

James Mattis, his choice for�secretary of�defense, called the agreement "imperfect" in�his confirmation hearing last week, but�said "when America gives her word, we have to�live up�to it and work with�our allies." Trump's pick for�secretary of�state, Rex Tillerson, said in�his hearing he would recommend a "full review" of�the deal with�Iran, but�also stopped short of�suggesting scrapping it.