President Trump has finally decertified his predecessor’s nuclear agreement with Iran. Twice before, in April and July, Trump certified, per the requirement in the 2015 Iran Nuclear Review Agreement Act, that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action remained in the interest of the United States. According to senior White House officials, he did so most reluctantly and was determined to not do it again.

Somewhat contradictorily, the president isn’t, however, walking away from the nuclear agreement and will not reimpose the sanctions lifted by the accord, as he can do at any time. Trump will allow Congress in the next 60 days to decide whether it wishes to reimpose sanctions, which requires a simple majority vote in both chambers. In theory, if the president wants to dodge responsibility, this cycle could be repeated in another 90 days. In practice, however, the president will, his senior advisers insist, seize the initiative against the Islamic Republic and reverse the momentum established by President Barack Obama, where the U.S. adhered to the nuclear agreement, continuously turning a blind eye to its debilitating deficiencies, while allowing the clerical regime to run rampant in the Middle East.