RNA - “We have imposed new sanctions on the nation of Iran who’s totally taken advantage of our previous administration,” Trump said Thursday during a press conference at the White House.
“And they’re the world’s top sponsor of terrorism and we’re not going to stop until that problem is properly solved,” he said.
“It’s one of the worst agreements I’ve ever seen drawn by anybody,” Trump said, referring to the Iran nuclear deal.
Trump has repeatedly denounced the landmark nuclear accord. During his presidential election campaign, he threatened to shred the deal.
Trump's anti-Iran rhetoric comes as the longstanding Western dispute over Tehran's nuclear program was settled after the conclusion of a landmark nuclear agreement in 2015. UN Security Council Resolution 2231 also endorsed the nuclear deal, which went into effect in January 2016.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also confirmed Iran's commitment to the terms of the nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- plus Germany started implementing the JCPOA on January 16, 2016.
The deal limited parts of Iran's peaceful nuclear program in exchange for the complete removal of all sanctions against the country.
Earlier this month, however, Trump undermined the multilateral deal by introducing a new round of sanctions against Iran following the country’s successful test-launch of a ballistic missile, which Washington said was a breach of the JCPOA. Iran rejected the US claim, reiterating the right to develop its defense capabilities.
During a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday at the White House, Trump accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, vowing that he would prevent Tehran from ever gaining such weapons.
He also called Iran's atomic program a threat to Israel, which is believed to possess the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East.
Trump’s remarks at Thursday’s press conference come as the White House is facing unbelievable turmoil with just a few weeks into the administration.
The early days of his presidency have been burdened with scandal, legal challenges, personnel drama and questions about his temperament during interactions with world leaders.
The resignation of Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn on Monday and the continuing turmoil inside the National Security Council have deeply rattled the Washington establishment.
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