China wants Iran deal to endure

A Chinese official on Monday reportedly said China hopes the Iran nuclear agreement will stay in place, a comment which comes ahead of the Oct. 15 deadline for the Trump administration to certify Iran’s compliance with the accord.

“We hope that the comprehensive Iran nuclear agreement can continue to be earnestly implemented,” said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, as reported by Reuters.

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Hua’s remark comes as President Trump is reportedly planning to decertify the accord, which was negotiated between Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, the European Union and Russia.

Should the president say Iran is not in compliance with the deal, Congress would have 60 days to reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the Iran deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, calling it “an embarrassment” and promising on the campaign trail to tear it up.

Trump said last month he had made a decision on the deal, but refused to say what it entailed. On Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated that Trump has made a decision and will announce it at the “appropriate time.”