WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Monday declared for the second time that Iran was complying with a 2015 nuclear deal.
However, the Trump administration said Iran was "in default of the spirit" of the 2015 deal and that it was working on new non-nuclear sanctions against Iran.
According to senior Trump administration officials, the Trump administration would certify to U.S. Congress that Iran had so far been compliant with its commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
"The Secretary of State is in the process as we speak of certifying to the Congress that the conditions that are laid out in the (2015 Iran nuclear deal) have been met based on information available to the United States," a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity told reporters in a background briefing.
However, the official said the Trump administration saw Iran as "one of the most dangerous threats to U.S. interests and to regional stability."
Stressing that the Trump administration was not going soft on Iran, senior officials told reporters that the Trump administration was expected to implement new sanctions that pertain to Iran's ballistic missile program and fast boat program.
"They are part of an ongoing campaign to hold Iran accountable for its misbehavior in ways that don't actually touch the deal," said one official.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized the Iran nuclear deal, calling it "the worst deal ever negotiated."
Iran and six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- reached an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue in July 2015 that put it on the path of sanctions relief but with more strict limits on its nuclear program.
The deal set limits on Iran's nuclear activities and allowed regular inspections of the facilities inside Iran.
In return, the United States and the European Union will suspend nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, with the lifting of all past UN Security Council sanction resolutions.
Trump has recently called Iran a "rogue" state, which has aroused fierce response from the Iranian government.
"Trump ought to seek the reason for subversion and rebellion in his own arbitrary and conflicting policies and actions, as well as those of his arrogant, aggressive and occupying allies in the region," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Saturday.
