World will change if Trump nixes JCPOA: German FM

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warns that “the world will change” if US President Donald Trump decides to ditch the landmark nuclear accord between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.

“That is a great danger for us because if the United States of America takes that course then the world will change,” Gabriel was quoted as saying by German news agency, DPA, on Sunday.

Trump is a stern critic of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), agreed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers, including the United States, France, Britain, China, Russia, and Germany. Under the agreement, nuclear-related sanctions put in place against Iran were lifted in exchange for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program.

During his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 19, the US Republican president described the JCPOA as “the worst and most one-sided transaction Washington has ever entered into,” a characterization he often used during his presidential campaign.

The German foreign minister, speaking at a state election campaign event, also said that he was deeply concerned about Trump’s possible decision to quit the JCPOA, adding that treating Iran as if it was developing nuclear weapons would result in “nothing” good.

He slammed the US administration for efforts to replace “the rule of law with the law of the strongest,” expressing his country’s resolve to remain committed to the historic deal.

Trump is reportedly planning to “decertify” the international nuclear agreement with Iran later this month. According to reports, the US president plans to declare that the nuclear deal is not in the national interest of the United States and kick the issue to a reluctant Congress.

US Congress requires the president to certify Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA every 90 days. The next certification date is October 15.

Under the law, the Republican-controlled Congress will have 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions waived under the deal. That will let Congress effectively decide whether to kill the agreement.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic would give a “response fitting” any stance adopted by the US president on the nuclear agreement.

“After Mr. Trump declares his views, which it is almost clear what he wants to say [on Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal], the Islamic Republic of Iran will give a fitting response at an appropriate time,” Zarif added.

‘JCPOA shows international conflicts can be settled peacefully’

Meanwhile, German Ambassador to Tehran Michael Klor-Berchtold also stated on Sunday that the JCPOA was a clear example, which proved that complicated international disputes could be settled through peaceful approaches.

He added that Germany was among the six countries that succeeded in settling the dispute surrounding Iran’s nuclear program in 2015 following years of diplomatic efforts.

The German diplomat, who was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony to unveil posters in support of the JCPOA at Germany’s embassy in Tehran, said his country still insisted that the accord must be maintained and implemented despite widespread opposition. He added that the German foreign minister had repeatedly highlighted the significance of this issue.

Klor-Berchtold stressed the importance of dialog and diplomacy at the current juncture more than ever before.

He said all signatories to the JCPOA must make efforts for its success and regard the deal as a good example of settling international disputes only through negotiations.

The German ambassador to Tehran also stated that the unveiling of the posters was aimed to inform Iranian people of efforts made by his country to maintain and implement the nuclear deal.