President Trump on Tuesday announced plans to leave the
Iran nuclear deal, declaring the pact has failed to halt the country’s nuclear
ambitions in perhaps the biggest foreign policy decision of his administration.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said: “I am announcing
today the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.”
Trump for months had left open whether he would move to
scrap the pact, and his apparent decision to re-impose sanctions has rattled
European rattles and leaves unclear how Tehran will respond.
But Trump scorched the deal in his Tuesday remarks,
saying it put only weak limits on the regime's nuclear activity and still would
allow Iran to pursue a nuclear weapon once key parts of the agreement
lapse.
"This was a horrible, one-sided deal that should
have never ever been made," he said. “... The Iran deal is defective at
its core.”
The Treasury Department said a restoration of some
sanctions will go into effect after a 90-day countdown, with the rest kicking
in after a 180-day wind-down period. Once sanctions are re-imposed, the
U.S. effectively would be out of the deal.
“At the heart of the Iran deal was a giant fiction, that
a murderous regime desired only a peaceful, nuclear energy program,” Trump said
Tuesday.
“Today, we have definitive proof that this Iranian promise was a lie.”
- President Trump
The Treasury Department said Trump would move to reimpose
all sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the 2015 deal, not just the
ones facing an immediate deadline. If he follows through on a sweeping
imposition of sanctions, the move threatens to topple the Iran nuclear
agreement as a whole – and with it, his predecessor’s signature foreign policy
achievement.
“In theory, the so-called Iran deal was supposed to
protect the United States and our allies from the lunacy of an Iranian nuclear
bomb, a weapon that will only endanger the survival of the Iranian
regime," Trump said. "In fact, the deal allowed Iran to continue
enriching uranium and over time reach the brink of a nuclear breakout."
During his speech, Trump called Iran “the leading state
sponsor of terror.”
“It exports dangerous missiles, fuels conflicts across
the Middle East, and supports terrorist proxies and militias, such as
Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, and Al Qaeda,” he said.
In a Tuesday evening tweet, the president added:
"The Iran Deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know what
will happen. In just a short time, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror
will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons...."
Democrats blasted Trump’s withdrawal, with House
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi calling it “a sad day for America’s global
leadership.”
Former President Obama released a statement arguing the
nuclear deal “is working” and “has significantly rolled back Iran’s nuclear
program,” saying that’s why Trump’s announcement “is so misguided.”
Trump started the day by warning former Secretary of
State John Kerry not to meddle in the negotiations.
“John Kerry can’t get over the fact that he had his
chance and blew it! Stay away from negotiations John, you are hurting your
country!” Trump tweeted early Tuesday.
This was a reference to reports that Kerry was meeting
with foreign officials in a bid to salvage the pact. Speaking at a summit
Tuesday in Italy, Kerry did not back down, saying the Middle East is “safer
with this agreement” and framing this juncture as a choice between peace and
war.
Trump’s announcement comes ahead of a May 12 deadline to
make a decision on sanctions.
It follows efforts by European allies to convince Trump
to keep the deal, even with changes.
But Trump was unconvinced. Since the 2016 presidential
campaign, he has railed against the agreement and its Obama administration
negotiators.
The 2015 pact lifted most U.S. and international
sanctions against the country, in exchange for Iran agreeing to restrictions on
its nuclear program making it impossible to produce a bomb, along with rigorous
inspections – terms generally set for 10-15 years.
But Israel, Gulf Arab states and many congressional
Republicans said the deal was a giveaway to Tehran that ultimately paves the
path to a nuclear-armed Iran several years in the future.
“Perhaps the nuclear deal’s most unforgivable flaw is
that its original architects chose to stand with and empower Iran’s mullahs
over the Iranian people, whose opposition to their corrupt and criminal
government continues to grow,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote in a Fox News
op-ed urging Trump to abandon the pact and ratchet up sanctions.
But Trump’s decision could lead to retaliation from Iran
in the near-term.
If the deal collapses, Iran could resume prohibited
enrichment activities, while businesses and banks doing business with Iran
would have to scramble to extricate themselves or run afoul of the U.S.
While Trump himself was tight-lipped about his decision
in the run-up to the announcement, Iranian officials also were left guessing.
In Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani sought to calm
nerves. "It is possible that we will face some problems for two or three
months, but we will pass through this," Rouhani said.
Rouhani earlier warned of “grave” consequences if Trump
pulled back on the agreement.
Obama foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes, who played a key
role in the deal, also tweeted that “Trump is blowing that up with no
understanding of what's actually in the Deal, no plan for what comes next, and
no support from our closest European allies, Russia or China.”
A factor leading to Tuesday’s decision may have been
Israel’s public lobbying. A week ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
appealed to the U.S. president by making explosive allegations that new
evidence proved Tehran had lied about its nuclear program and adherence to the
pact.
But even Trump's secretary of state and the U.N. agency
that monitors nuclear compliance have agreed that Iran, so far, has lived up to
its side of the deal.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu said, "Israel fully
supports President Trump’s bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear
deal with the terrorist regime in Tehran."
Fox News’ John Roberts, Judson Berger and The
Associated Press contributed to this report.
_________________
President Trump’s Remarks On Leaving The Iran
Nuclear Deal
PRESIDENT
TRUMP:
My fellow Americans,
Today,
I want to update the world on our efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a
nuclear weapon.
The
Iranian regime is the leading state sponsor of terror. It exports dangerous
missiles, fuels conflicts across the Middle East, and supports terrorist
proxies and militias such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Over
the years, Iran and its proxies have bombed American Embassies and military
installations, murdered hundreds of American service members, and kidnapped,
imprisoned, and tortured American citizens.
The
Iranian regime has funded its long reign of chaos and terror by plundering the
wealth of its own people.
No
action taken by the regime has been more dangerous than its pursuit of nuclear
weapons — and the means of delivering them.
In
2015, the previous administration joined with other nations in a deal regarding
Iran’s nuclear program. This agreement was known as the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action, or J.C.P.O.A.
In
theory, the so-called “Iran deal” was supposed to protect the United States and
our allies from the lunacy of an Iranian nuclear bomb, a weapon that will only
endanger the survival of the Iranian regime.
In
fact, the deal allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium and — over time —
reach the brink of a nuclear breakout.
The
deal lifted crippling economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for very weak
limits on the regime’s nuclear activity — and no limits at all on its other
malign behavior, including its sinister activities in Syria, Yemen, and other
places all around the world.
In
other words, at the point when the United States had maximum leverage, this
disastrous deal gave this regime — and it’s a regime of great terror — many
billions of dollars, some of it in actual cash — a great embarrassment to me as
a citizen and to all citizens of the United States.
A
constructive deal could easily have been struck at the time, but it wasn’t.
At
the heart of the Iran deal was a giant fiction: that a murderous regime desired
only a peaceful nuclear energy program.
Today,
we have definitive proof that this Iranian promise was a lie. Last week, Israel
published intelligence documents — long concealed by Iran — conclusively
showing the Iranian regime and its history of pursuing nuclear weapons.
The
fact is, this was a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been
made. It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will.
In
the years since the deal was reached, Iran’s military budget has grown by
almost 40 percent — while its economy is doing very badly. After the sanctions
were lifted, the dictatorship used its new funds to build its nuclear-capable
missiles, support terrorism, and cause havoc throughout the Middle East and
beyond.
The
agreement was so poorly negotiated that even if Iran fully complies, the regime
can still be on the verge of a nuclear breakout in just a short period of time.
The deal’s sunset provisions are totally unacceptable.
If I
allowed this deal to stand, there would soon be a nuclear arms race in the
Middle East. Everyone would want their weapons ready by the time Iran had
theirs.
Making
matters worse, the deal’s inspection provisions lack adequate mechanisms to
prevent, detect, and punish cheating and don’t even have the unqualified right
to inspect many important locations, including military facilities. Not only
does the deal fail to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but it also fails to
address the regime’s development of ballistic missiles that could deliver
nuclear warheads.
Finally,
the deal does nothing to constrain Iran’s destabilizing activities, including
its support for terrorism.
Since
the agreement, Iran’s bloody ambitions have grown only more brazen. In light of
these glaring flaws, I announced last October that the Iran deal must either be
renegotiated or terminated.
Three
months later, on January 12th, I repeated these conditions. I made clear that
if the deal could not be fixed, the United States would no longer be a party to
the agreement.
Over
the past few months, we have engaged extensively with our allies and partners
around the world, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. We have
also consulted with our friends from across the Middle East. We are unified in
our understanding of the threat and in our conviction that Iran must never
acquire a nuclear weapon.
After
these consultations, it is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear
bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement. The Iran
deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know exactly what will
happen. In just a short period of time, the world’s leading state sponsor of
terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons.
Therefore,
I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran
nuclear deal.
In a
few moments, I will sign a presidential memorandum to begin reinstating U.S.
nuclear sanctions on the Iranian regime. We will be instituting the highest
level of economic sanction. Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear
weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States.
America
will not be held hostage to nuclear blackmail. We will not allow American
cities to be threatened with destruction. And we will not allow a regime that
chants “Death to America” to gain access to the most deadly weapons on Earth.
Today’s
action sends a critical message. The United States no longer makes empty
threats. When I make promises, I keep them. In fact, at this very moment,
Secretary Pompeo is on his way to North Korea in preparation for my upcoming
meeting with Kim Jong-un. Plans are being made, relationships are building.
Hopefully, a deal will happen, and with the help of China, South Korea, and
Japan, a future of great prosperity and security can be achieved for everyone.
As
we exit the Iran deal, we will be working with our allies to find a real,
comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear threat. This will
include efforts to eliminate the threat of Iran’s ballistic missile program, to
stop its terrorist activities worldwide, and to block its menacing activity
across the Middle East.
In
the meantime, powerful sanction also go into full effect. If the regime
continues its its nuclear aspirations, it will have bigger problems than it has
ever had before. Finally, I want to deliver a message to the long-suffering
people of Iran.
The
people of America stand with you.
It
has now been almost 40 years since this dictatorship seized power and took a
proud nation hostage. Most of Iran’s 80 million citizens have sadly never known
an Iran that prospered in peace with its neighbors and commanded the admiration
of the world.
But
the future of Iran belongs to its people. They are the rightful heirs to a rich
culture and an ancient land, and they deserve a nation that does justice to
their dreams, honor to their history and glory to God.
Iran’s
leaders will naturally say that they refuse to negotiate a new deal. They
refuse, and that’s fine. I’d probably say the same thing if I was in their
position. But the fact is, they are going to want to make a new and lasting
deal, one that benefits all of Iran and the Iranian people.
When
they do, I am ready, willing, and able. Great things can happen for Iran. And
great things can happen for the peace and stability that we all want in the
Middle East. There has been enough suffering, death, and destruction. Let it
end now. Thank you. God bless you. Thank you.
