Macron’s New Iran Deal Deserves a Chance
France’s president has offered Trump a way to declare victory without killing the existing nuclear deal.
How about a bigger deal?
Photographer: /Getty Images North AmericaFrench President Emmanuel Macron wants to rescue the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as JCPOA. His office made a joint announcement with the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that the two leaders would work together on preserving the deal, in the wake of Macron's state visit to the United States, where he tried to convince his American counterpart to give the deal a chance. Macron has put forward a proposal that could, indeed, improve the situation and enable everyone to claim victory.
Trump should take up Macron’s suggestion: to treat the existing deal, known by its acronym JCPOA, which covers Iran’s nuclear program, as one leg in a broader accord that would cover nuclear activities beyond JCPOA’s 10-year deadline, ballistic missile technology, and, especially, Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism in the region.