TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Trump tears into Iran, leaves nuclear deal hanging

Trump's bellicose message brought an instant rebuke from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who -- also leaning heavily on past injustices -- declared the United States was "more than ever against the Iranian people."

Andrew Beatty (Agence France-Presse)
Washington, United States
Sat, October 14, 2017

Share This Article

Change Size

 Trump tears into Iran, leaves nuclear deal hanging US President Donald Trump addresses the 72nd Annual UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 19, 2017. (Agence France -Presse/Timothy A. Clary)

P

resident Donald Trump reignited the decades-old US feud with Iran on Friday, vowing to confront the "fanatical regime" and throwing a landmark international nuclear agreement into doubt.

In a speech pocked with grievances dating to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Trump railed against the "Iranian dictatorship, its sponsorship of terrorism, and its continuing aggression in the Middle East and all around the world."

And he threatened to rip up the 2015 agreement curbing Iran's nuclear program, saying it had failed to address Iranian subversion in its region and its illegal missile program.

"It is under continuous review and our participation can be canceled by me, as president, at any time," he warned.

And he later lashed out at countries that have stood by the agreement, appearing to accuse them of placing trade profits ahead of security.

"Many people talking, with much agreement, on my Iran speech today. Participants in the deal are making lots of money on trade with Iran!" he wrote on Twitter.

Trump's bellicose message brought an instant rebuke from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who -- also leaning heavily on past injustices -- declared the United States was "more than ever against the Iranian people."

But behind Trump's hardline rhetoric was a subtle but significant presidential climbdown. 

He stopped short of nixing a deal negotiated with European allies, China and Russia to lift sanctions against Tehran in return for Iranian curbs on uranium enrichment.

Instead he took a procedural step of "decertifying" the agreement, leaving its fate in the hands of the Republican-controlled Congress.

The US president said he supports efforts in Congress to work on new measures to address these threats without immediately torpedoing the broader deal.

"However, in the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated," Trump said, in a televised address from the Diplomatic Room of the White House.

Read also: US Secretary of State Tillerson called Trump 'moron'

European leaders slapped back that notion, saying the agreement was not America's alone. 

In a cautious but unmistakable rebuke, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany said the deal remained in "our shared national security interest."

"We encourage the US administration and Congress to consider the implications to the security of the US and its allies before taking any steps that might undermine" the deal.

Read also: Iran threatens to quit nuclear deal

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.