 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 By Andrew BEATTY Washington (AFP) Oct 5, 2017
US President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted Iran has not acted in keeping with a deal to curb its nuclear program, days before he must decide on the future of the accord. "They have not lived up to the spirit of the agreement," said Trump, as he huddled with military leaders ahead of perhaps the most consequential foreign policy decision of his young presidency. "The Iranian regime supports terrorism and exports violence and chaos across the Middle East," Trump said in the Cabinet Room. "That is why we must put an end to Iran's continued aggression and nuclear ambitions" he said. "You will be hearing about Iran very shortly." Gathered with military leaders and their spouses for a function after the meeting, Trump, stone-faced, said "this may be the calm before the storm," while refusing to go into detail. Trump must tell Congress by October 15 whether he believes Iran is in compliance with the agreement. He may well fly in the face of advice from some of his closest advisors, declaring Iran is not in compliance and leaving the pact's fate in the hands of the Republican-controlled Congress. Ahead of that deadline, several officials familiar with White House deliberations told AFP Trump has made it clear he does not want to certify Iran's compliance. But a formal decision has yet to be made. "The president is going to make an announcement about the decision that he's made on a comprehensive strategy that his team supports, and we'll do that in the coming days," said Sarah Huckabee Sanders. White House officials cautioned against reports that Trump would make a speech revealing his decision next Thursday. But the decision must come by an October 15 deadline. - Intense debate - Trump has often railed against the Obama-era deal, which offered Iran massive sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program. He has repeatedly promised to rip it up, but has passed up an opportunity to end sanctions relief. Every 90 days Trump must tell Congress whether Iran is living up to its end of the bargain, something that has already caused him political pain on two occasions. The administration has made it clear that it wants Iran to stop ballistic missile tests and stop "nefarious" behavior across the Middle East, two issues that were not part of the agreement. "They have not lived up to the spirit of the agreement and we'll be discussing that tonight" said Trump. "You will be hearing about Iran very shortly." The build up to Trump's decision has been dominated by intense debate inside the White House and fierce lobbying in Congress. Top military advisors Defense Secretary James Mattis and General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, have spoken out publicly in favor of the agreement. European ambassadors and diplomats have been camped out on Capitol Hill, trying to argue against any punitive actions that invite Iran to decide the United States is in non-compliance. Meanwhile, the deal's opponents, such as Senator Tom Cotton, have argued that Iran is not in compliance and sanctions and even military action should be considered. Cotton met Trump at the White House on Thursday to make his case. The Arkansas senator has argued that Iran is operating more advanced nuclear centrifuges than it is permitted, exceeding limits on heavy water stocks, continuing to illicitly procure nuclear and missile technology outside of approved channels and refusing to grant international inspectors access to nuclear-research and military facilities.
Iran's Zarif urges Europe to defy Trump on sanctionsLondon (AFP) Sept 30, 2017 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned that the only way to stop its nuclear deal from collapsing is for Europe to defy any US reimposition of sanctions. In an interview published Saturday by Britain's Guardian newspaper, Zarif said Iran would develop much more advanced nuclear technology - though not for weapons purposes - if Europe followed the United States in returnin ... read more Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
