Head of US Central Command signals support for Iran nuclear deal

A top US general signaled support for the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, saying it played an important role in addressing Tehran’s weapons program. “The JCPOA addresses one of the principle threats that we deal with from Iran, so if the JCPOA goes away, then we will have to have another way to deal with their nuclear weapons program,” said US Army General Joseph Votel, head of the US military’s Central Command. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name of the accord with Iran, was agreed in July 2015 in Vienna. Votel agrees with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford that staying in the deal is in the national security interest of the US, Reuters said.