Trump attempting to sabotage Iran nuclear deal: Analyst

US President Donald Trump’s plan to impose additional sanctions against Iran that are separate from those covered under the international nuclear agreement violates the “spirit” of the deal and is a “clever way” of sabotaging it, says Gareth Porter,  an American investigative journalist and policy analyst.

“Now there are indications that there's a strategy that the White House has agreed to, obviously at the behest of its foreign policy advisors, to basically do something more clever, which is not to withdraw from the agreement officially, but rather continue to levy new sanctions against Iran which are not in keeping with the agreement,” Porter told Press TV on Friday.

“That appears to be a way of satisfying the necessity to frustrate the essential requirements of the agreement on one hand while at the same time basically taking a position that is clearly at odds with the spirit of the agreement and which Iranians and everyone else associate it with the nuclear agreement and recognize as sabotaging,” he added.

PressTV-Trump to remain in Iran nuclear deal: Report

Trump is likely to abide by his national security aides and waive Iran sanctions for three more months while introducing a series of new economic measures against the country, some officials say.

Trump is expected to extend sanctions relief for Iran as part of a 2015 nuclear deal while his administration works out a “fix” to the multi-nation accord, American officials have revealed.

The US president, who has to make up his mind by Friday, is likely to accept recommendation from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and extend the waivers for three more months, The Associated Press reported Wednesday, citing its unnamed sources with the Trump administration.

The move goes against Trump’s desire to end his country’s involvement in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a landmark agreement between Iran and six world powers -- the US, the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

The deal puts limitations on parts of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program in exchange for removing all nuclear-related sanctions.

In October, Trump extended the nuclear-related sanctions relief but refused to certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA, warning that he might ultimately terminate Washington’s participation in defiance of all the other signatories.

This is while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly verified Iran’s adherence to the terms of the JCPOA since January 2016, when the deal took effect.

Tehran has denounced Washington’s constant violations of the JCPOA, warning the Trump administration that it will respond to any breach accordingly.

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