In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Tillerson said a review, which he had announced in a letter to Congress a day earlier, would look at the whole USA policy towards Iran - taking in not only Tehran's compliance with the nuclear deal but also its actions in the Middle East.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said late Tuesday that Iran has been adhering to the nuclear agreement, but the Trump administration is going to review whether sanctions relief is still warranted because of Iran's sponsorship of terrorism.
The Trump administration is reviewing the Obama-era nuclear weapons agreement with Iran to determine whether they will stop the deal's suspension of U.S. sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday.
"Everywhere you look, if there's trouble in the region, you find Iran", Mattis told reporters.
President Donald Trump has stepped up U.S. pressure on North Korea, which has accelerated its nuclear and missile tests in recent years, despite worldwide condemnation and United Nations sanctions.
Though there was no sign the Trump Administration meant to walk away from the deal, Tillerson twice cautioned that if left unchecked Tehran could become a threat like North Korea, which is also under pressure over its nuclear ambitions.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer defended the review on Wednesday, arguing that the measure is a "prudent" one.
Tillerson made his statement to Congress as part of an announcement that Iran had been found compliant with its end of the deal through April 18, a certification that must be made every 90 days.
Pence, on US carrier, pledges to defend Asia
Pence pointed to reports of China turning away coal exports from North Korea as an example of the new USA strategy bearing fruit. Pence said Trump was hopeful China would use its influence in the region to pressure the North to abandon its weapons program.
Tillerson's announcement was the strongest signal to date that President Donald Trump may walk away from the nuclear deal.
He has also said that US confirms Iran is fulfilling its obligations under the deal, but believes that the country is supporting terrorism. He said in January of 2016 after the deal was implemented that "Iran will not get its hands on a nuclear bomb".
Earlier this week, Tillerson wrote a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan confirming Tehran was abiding by the landmark pact, while adding that the United States will conduct a "comprehensive review" of its policy toward Iran and the nuclear agreement.
"Any discussion of Iran is incomplete without mentioning the JCPOA". Tillerson's letter to Ryan was sent just hours before the midnight deadline for the first Trump administration update.
He said the pact, brokered by former president Barack Obama's administration, along with other world powers, represented the "same failed approach" the United States has used in North Korea.
Trump repeatedly criticized Iran during his presidential campaign. However, the U.S. admitted that Tehran was complying with the 2015 agreement, the BBC said.
Proponents of the agreement have long acknowledged it doesn't address concerns about Iran's non-nuclear behavior, such as developing its ballistic missile program or supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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