In an October 13, 2017, announcement of a new U.S. strategy on Iran, President Donald Trump asserted that the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), does not address the full range of potential threats posed by Iran, or permanently ensure that Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon. President Trump has also asserted that, by supporting terrorist groups in the Middle East region and furthering its ballistic missile program, 'Iran is not living up to the spirit of the deal,' although international nuclear inspectors have consistently indicated in their reports that Iran is complying with the provisions of the JCPOA. The President has subsequently not certified to Congress under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA, P.L. 114-17) [..]. A major decision for the Trump Administration comes on May 12, 2018, which is the date of expiration of the current waiver of one of the key Iran sanctions laws that are waived to implement the JCPOA. This report analyzes some of the options the Administration and Congress might use to end or alter U.S. implementation of the JCPOA. These options, which might involve use of procedures in the JCPOA itself or INARA, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Potential implications of these options are analyzed as well.
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