Trump: Iran not 'living up to spirit' of nuke deal

Published : 22 Apr 2017, 13:52

Jagoroniya Desk

Iran is "not living up to the spirit" of the nuclear deal struck with world powers, US President Donald Trump said Thursday, warning America would set out its position on that soon.

Trump's administration has been publicly tightening the noose on Iran over the deal, which was negotiated by the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany to roll back Tehran's nuclear program in return for the easing of sanctions.

"It was a terrible agreement," said Trump, who has regularly blamed his predecessor Barack Obama for securing it. "That was a bad one, as bad as I've ever seen negotiated."

"Iran has not lived up to the spirit of the agreement, and they have to do that," Trump said in a joint news conference in the White House with Italy's visiting Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

"We're analyzing it very, very carefully and will have something to say about it in the not-too-distant future."

Trump on Tuesday ordered a review of the deal led by his National Security Council. It will decide whether suspending sanctions "is vital to the national security interests of the United States."

Although the State Department admits Iran has so far stuck to its side of the bargain, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday called the pact a failure and warned Iran risked becoming another North Korea: a hostile, nuclear-armed state.

"Iran's provocative actions threaten the United States, the region, and the world," Tillerson said.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program has no military purpose. But world powers were not convinced and the accord provided for regular inspections of facilities.

Thus far, Trump has made no steps to tear up the deal, as he had threatened to do when campaigning to become president.

And Tehran has given no indication of wanting to ditch the deal, properly known as the JCPOA, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.


Source: AFP

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