President Trump has accused Iran of not living up to the “spirit” of its nuclear deal, amid reports that he plans to withdraw certification of the agreement reached in 2015 under President Barack Obama.
“The Iranian regime supports terrorism and exports violence, bloodshed, and chaos across the Middle East,” Mr. Trump said Thursday night as he met with military chiefs at the White House. “That is why we must put an end to Iran’s continued aggression and nuclear ambitions. They have not lived up to the spirit of their agreement.”
He told reporters, “”You will be hearing about Iran very shortly. We must not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.”
Various media outlets reported Friday that Mr. Trump will not certify the 2015 international nuclear deal because it does not serve U.S. security interests. The official announcement is expected next week.
Congress would then have 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions that would prompt Iran to walk away from the agreement.
At the meeting of military leaders, Mr. Trump also warned that reporters were witnessing “the calm before the storm.” He didn’t elaborate.
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Mr. Trump already has certified twice, grudgingly, that Iran was meeting the requirements of the nuclear accord. But he has continued to complain that it was a bad deal for the U.S. that won’t prevent Tehran from building a nuclear bomb.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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