Confidential cables obtained by this newsroom reveal Donald Trump is personally demanding last-minute alterations to the US-Iran nuclear agreement, a move that sources say has infuriated European co-signatories and threatens to torpedo the multilateral accord.
The development, which emerged from leaked diplomatic correspondence between Washington and the E3 (Britain, France, and Germany), shows the President’s team is pressing for changes that would grant Washington unilateral snapback authority beyond the deal’s current dispute resolution mechanism. A senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the demands as “a deal-breaker” and “bad faith” after months of painstaking negotiation.
The core dispute centres on Article 37 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which currently requires a consensus of the joint commission to re-impose UN sanctions. Trump’s proposed edits would allow the US to trigger snapback without the approval of other signatories. European officials argue this would effectively make US law supreme over international obligations.
This is not the first time Trump has sought to rewrite terms after the fact. In 2020, he demanded changes to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement post-signature. But the stakes here are higher. Iran has repeatedly warned it will resume enrichment to military-grade levels if the deal is perceived as collapsing. “This isn’t a used car negotiation,” said former CIA officer Rebecca Lerner. “You can’t just add a toggle for an instant sanction trigger. That’s not how arms control works.”
Sources close to the European negotiating team confirm they have received a formal note verbale from the US State Department requesting the edits be considered before the next session in Vienna. But the tone among European allies is described as “beyond frustrated.” One British official called the move “American imperialism dressed up as diplomacy.”
The President’s legal team argues that the original text was ambiguous and that “for the US to remain locked into a deal without the ability to respond independently to Iranian cheating is a non-starter.” Yet Iran’s compliance has been verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 15 consecutive reports. The real objection appears to be ideological: Trump wants to scuttle the deal and negotiate a “flawless” one, even if that means losing the allies he claims to distrust.
The fallout is already visible. France’s President Macron cancelled a planned call with Trump this week. Germany’s foreign minister called the request “unacceptable.” Meanwhile, Tehran is watching warily. A senior Iranian official warned that any attempt to alter the agreement unilaterally “will be considered a violation and met with a proportional response.”
This newsroom has obtained a copy of the US proposed edits. They are nine pages long and include changes to the decommissioning of centrifuges, the timing of sanctions removal, and the snapback clause. These changes were drafted without input from the European parties and submitted via diplomatic pouch on Tuesday.
The timing could not be worse. The deal is set to be finalised within 30 days. If the US holds out, the entire framework could collapse, leaving Iran free to advance its nuclear programme and the West with its worst crisis since the Iraq war. The question now is whether Trump is willing to burn the last bridges with his allies for a political victory at home.
“He doesn’t care about the deal,” one administration insider confessed. “He cares about the headlines. And the only headline he wants is ‘Trump Gets Tough on Iran’.”
This story is developing. Sources confirm further documents are being reviewed. We will update as more records are uncovered.
