I can assure you there has been no decision made on any withdrawal from JCPOA, said James Mattis on Thursday, using an acronym to refer to the deal, which is officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The discussions are ongoing in the national security staff and those of us who are charged with that responsibility of giving the president advice. Its going on today as we speak, Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He further claimed that there are obviously aspects of the JCPOA...that can be improved on, adding that Washington is currently working with its allies in the European Union on this issue.
Mattis had previously said he supportedthe US staying in the JCPOA. He told lawmakers last October that it wasin the national interest of the US to do so.
US President Donald Trump has until May 12 to decide whether to once again waive Iran's nuclear-related sanctions, which were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal. He hadsaid back in January that it was the last time the US extendedthe sanctions relief for Iran, urging the European signatories to work to fix the flaws in the JCPOA by that date or he would pull the US out of the seven-party deal.
This is while all other parties to the Iran deal have voiced full support for the international document, which they say should be kept as it is.
PressTV-Zarif on JCPOA: Either all or nothing
The Iranian foreign minister says the European signatories to the nuclear deal should convince US to stay in the deal.
Iran has also repeatedly said that it will not renegotiate the JCPOA and stands ready to respond to a possible US pullout.
Mattis remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron, who just visited Washington, said he believedTrump would pull the United States out of the nuclear agreement.
Earlier on Wednesday, Macron urged US congressmen to ensure the US will not abandon the JCPOA a day after he raised controversy in Europe by talking of a new deal with Iran, which he said would run alongside the existing one and address Tehrans defense program and regional role.
The comments by Macron, who was in the US to help persuade Trump to keep the deal, prompted a criticalresponse from the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, who reaffirmed the deal was working and thus should be saved.
PressTV-Russia: No room for changes, additions to Iran deal
The Russian Foreign Ministry says Moscow does not see any prospect for changes or additions to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Mattis further touched on the rapprochement with North Korea, rejecting concerns that a US withdrawal from the Iran deal would affect the upcoming talks with Pyongyang.
Some people point out that this could impact on the North Korea negotiations. But I would say in that case, in light of Kims family and himself breaking every international treaty, every agreement theyve ever made ... Im less concerned with that ripple effect right now, he said.
