Trump strikes blow at Iran nuclear deal in major U.S. policy shift

T TV Saturday 14/October/2017 14:18 PM
By: Times News Service

U.S. President Donald Trump struck a blow against the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement on Friday in defiance of other world powers, choosing not to certify that Tehran is complying with the deal and warning he might ultimately terminate it.
President Donald Trump on Friday accusing Iran of violating the 2015 nuclear agreement -- but keeping the deal in place -- for now.
Trump is ratcheting up the pressure on Iran -- saying that country is not living up to the spirit of the agreement, adding that he's ready to pull out if need be.
Going as far as he possibly can to throw the agreement's future into question without actually blowing it up. But Trump's not actually making any final decision here -- he's handing that task off to Congress, which will now determine whether the deal survives or falls apart.
Trump giving Congress 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions that were lifted in 2015 when Iran agreed to suspend its nuclear weapons program.
Like Trump, many Republicans unhappy with the deal -- seeing it as overly generous towards a country that sponsors terrorist groups and undermines stability in the Middle East. But Republican leaders indicating they may leave the deal in place -- worried the United States would lose leverage if it pulled out.
Iran saying in response that it will expand its non-nuclear missile program but will otherwise stick to the nuclear deal.
Trump's remarks putting the United States at odds with international inspectors who say Iran is keeping up its end of the bargain, also increasing tensions with other countries that signed the deal.
European allies saying the United States undermining its credibility by putting the deal in limbo, Russia saying Trump's aggressive rhetoric has no place in international diplomacy.