MidEast

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Trump: “We Got Nothing” Out of Iran Nuclear Deal

United States President Donald Trump again dismissed the nuclear accord with Iran as “the worst deal” for America, as he prepares to announce a key decision on whether to certify Iran’s compliance with it.

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Trump said that “This is the worst deal. We got nothing.” The President said he believes “We did it out of weakness when actually, we have great strength” and vowed that “We will see what happens pretty soon.”

Every 90 days, the president must certify to Congress that Iran is keeping up its end of the agreement. If the president does not certify the accord, Congress has a statutory 60-day period to decide whether to reimpose sanctions.

Trump has twice previously—and grudgingly—been forced to certify that Iran is complying with its terms, but has said that the Islamic Republic is violating “the spirit” of the agreement.

One of the standards that the Corker-Cardin legislation sets out for the president to certify Iran’s compliance that “Iran is transparently, verifiably, and fully implementing the agreement.”

However, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last month that he was unable to confirm that the Islamic Republic is abiding by the terms set out in Section T of the nuclear accord.

The IAEA was unable to verify that Iran is implementing the nuclear deal because it does not have the means to ensure that Tehran has not engaged in activities that “could contribute to the development of a nuclear explosive device.”

The next deadline is on Sunday and several U.S. officials have indicated that Trump might this time choose not certify the nuclear deal. The president’s decision on the agreement reflects a shift in strategy with a broader focus on Iran’s non-nuclear activities, including the country’s missile program and its support for terrorism.

[Photo: The White House / YouTube]