Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif: Trump's nuclear deal move harms U.S. credibility
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the country will remain in the 2015 nuclear deal along with the European Union, Russia and China, despite President Trump's decision to decertify Iran's compliance. After months of anticipation, Mr. Trump on Friday said his administration "cannot and will not" certify Iran's compliance with the Iran nuclear agreement to Congress.
CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports from Tehran where she spoke with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who negotiated the deal on behalf of Iran.
Zarif spent two years working to bring the deal to fruition, but wouldn't admit that he was disappointed by Mr. Trump's announcement. He insisted it was still a triumph of diplomacy because all the deal's other signatories are standing solidly with Iran. As far as they're concerned, the deal is going ahead.
However, he was categorical in saying that Mr. Trump's move to decertify the Obama-era deal will undermine U.S. credibility internationally.
"Nobody else will trust any U.S. administration to engage in any long-term negotiation because the length of any commitment, the duration of any commitment from now on with any U.S. administration would be the remainder of the term of that president," Zarif said.
When asked about other potential fallout from the White House's change of position like Boeing's ambition to sell Iran 80 new planes -- a deal worth billions -- he said as far he's concerned Iran has no quarrel with American businesses.
Palmer also asked him whether he had given up on trying to establish better relations with the current administration.
"I believe the Trump administration is closing its eyes on the realities of our region. We believe it will be important for the United States, for the Trump administration to exercise a reset in its cognitive disorder with regard to our region," Zarif said.
The Iranian government and Zarif watched Mr. Trump's speech live and had no briefing call from administration officials, illustrating the deep freeze in relations at the moment. However, Zarif said the speech held no surprises as European officials had passed on the information they were getting from the White House.
