Eleven months after “implementation day”, on 2 January 2017 a group of top American scientists with understanding of the physics and technology of nuclear power and of nuclear weapons sent an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump about Iran’s nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reminding him of Iran’s full adherence to its commitments under the deal, and urging him to preserve what they called a “critical US strategic asset”.
In an interview conducted by Mehr News International Service with one of the main writers and signatories of the open letter, Frank von Hippel stressed that the purpose of writing the letter was an attempt to “save the Iran Deal.”
This American physicist, who is a Professor and Co-Director of Program on Science and Global Security at Princeton University and former Assistant Director for National Security in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, went on to add that it was “still too early to tell” what would become of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under the presidency of Donald Trump who has threatened to 'rip up' the deal on numerous occasions.
He expressed hope that President-elect Donald Trump would remain committed to the Iran deal, voicing confidence that in case of any violation of the JCPOA by the US president, other US allies would not follow his example of undermining the deal.
Frank von Hippel has worked on nuclear policy issues for over thirty years, and now serves on the National Advisory Board of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the research arm of Council for a Livable World. From 1993 to 1994, he was the Assistant Director for National Security in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Interview by: Javad Heirannia
MS