Story highlights Many in both parties think decertifying the deal would destabilize relations with allies

Trump plans to "decertify" the Iran nuclear deal next week, sources say

Washington (CNN) H.R. McMaster, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, invited a small group of Democratic senators to the White House Wednesday to discuss the President's plans on the Iran deal, and lawmakers left with the impression that he was not sold on the idea that decertifying is the right way to go, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.

The sources said the meeting was clearly intended for McMaster to get ideas from key Senate Democrats on how to avoid decertifying the Iran deal, which many in both parties think would destabilize relations with allies and make it harder to confront foes well beyond Iran.

These sources say McMaster never explicitly said he disagrees with the President, nor that he wants Trump to certify that the Iran deal is in America's national interest.

But the sources say McMaster repeatedly responded to Democratic senators' entreaties not to decertify Iran and instead look for bipartisan alternatives by saying that he is not the one they have to convince, suggesting they were preaching to the choir.

An administration source told CNN that the senators got the wrong impression from the meeting, and insisted that McMaster is not only behind the President's Iran strategy -- he worked with the whole team to craft it. McMaster wants to make it a better deal to address the major flaws that both Republicans and Democrats agree have to be addressed, the source said.

Read More