Iran nuclear deal is working

During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump reserved some of his strongest contempt for the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by his predecessor, at various times calling it "one of the dumbest deals I've ever seen," "amateur hour" and "a disaster." 

His first priority, Trump promised, would be to "dismantle" it.

This week, for the second time since taking the oath of office, Trump grudgingly stood by the deal Iran reached with the United States and five other nations in 2015. He certified that Tehran was complying with strict terms that bar the nation from creating enough fissile material for building a nuclear weapon.

Why the turnaround? The answer is simple: The agreement is working.

With a few minor exceptions that have nothing to do with proliferation — each quickly corrected when discovered by inspectors — Tehran has abided by limits on stockpiles of low-enriched uranium, heavy water for nuclear plant operation and centrifuges for enriching uranium. Last year, for example, Iran poured concrete into the core of its only heavy-water plant capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium, ruining it.

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All these matters and more are monitored continuously and stringently by inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency. They use permanently placed cameras and electronic seals to track whether valves, stockpiles or other indicators have been altered. They conduct in-person inspection of 19 declared sites and, despite Iranian officials claiming that military bases are off limits, can see any other location where they suspect something might be amiss. Should Iran object, and a negotiation process that can take no longer than 24 days fails to satisfy inspectors' demands, the nuclear deal can be abrogated.

Iran has used the unfreezing of assets to re-engage the world's economy, including with a $3 billion Boeing airliner deal that could create or sustain 18,000 American jobs. 

To be sure, the Iran nuclear deal has its flaws. Iran can resume its nuclear program within 15 years. The release of frozen assets has allowed the underwriting of Tehran's militancy. Predictions that the deal would moderate the regime in Tehran have proved naive.

Iran remains a bad actor, a destabilizing force in a volatile region. Tehran supports militant and extremist groups in Iraq and Yemen. It has sent fighters to battle on behalf of Syrian President Bashar Assad's murderous regime.

Moreover, Iran continues to test and expand its ballistic missile program in violation of United Nations resolutions. Punishing U.S. sanctions imposed in response to the missile testing remained in place even after the nuclear agreement was reached, and Trump is right to add more, as he did this week.

But a bad actor without nuclear weapons is better than a bad actor with nuclear weapons. Imagine how much safer the world would be if a similar deal had been struck with North Korea years ago, before it could threaten to incinerate part of the United States.

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