News Story: Mattis in Israel insists Iran nuke deal 'still stands'

US Defense Secretary James Mattis

By: Barbara Opall-Rome

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TEL AVIV, Israel — In the first visit to Israel by a member of U.S. President Donald Trump's Cabinet, Defense Secretary James Mattis said the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran “still stands” and that Iran, as recently certified by the State Department, “appears to be living up to their part” of the deal.

Nevertheless, Mattis said all of that “in no way mitigates against or excuses” other problematic activities by Tehran, including its support for terror; its proxy wars throughout the region; and its unabated actions to keep Syrian President Bashar Assad in power.

In a joint news conference Friday at the Israeli Defense Ministry, Mattis reiterated that the U.S. is a signatory to a deal that “continues to be in force” and that all other issues, including Iranian-generated “mayhem, chaos and murder” in the region are issues that are separate and distinct from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

Mattis’ remarks came just moments after his host, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, called for “more pressure and more sanctions” on the Iranian regime — something that Tehran and other world capitals warn would cast the U.S. as a violator of the international accord.  

Read the full story at DefenseNews