Washington: US 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 in a major reversal of US policy.
Trump made the announcement in a speech that detailed a more confrontational approach to Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its support for extremist groups in the Middle East.
“Today I am announcing our strategy along with several major steps we’re taking to confront the Iranian regime’s hostile actions and to ensure that Iran never — and I mean never — acquires a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
While Trump did not pull the United States out of the agreement, aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, he gave the US Congress 60 days to decide whether to reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under the pact.
That would increase tension with Iran as well as put Washington at odds with other signatories of the accord such as Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union.
Trump ordered tougher sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps and on its ballistic missile program.
Trump said the agreement, which defenders say was only ever meant to curtail Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, had failed to address Iranian subversion in its region and its illegal missile program.
UAE supports new US strategy
The UAE has announced its full support to the US President Donald Trump’s strategy of dealing with Iran’s policies that undermine stability and security, reports WAM.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stressed that the Iranian regime, through its policies, is seeking to sow the seeds of chaos and instability in the region, adding “The nuclear agreement with Iran has given it the chance to correct its policies and responsibly deal with the international community; however, the Iranian government took advantage of this agreement to support its expansionist and irresponsible policy”.
The statement reiterated that the US new strategy comes as part of necessary steps to confront Iran's negative and unacceptable behavior in all its forms, including its missile program, which poses a real threat to the regional security and stability. It also comes to defy its support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and the Houthis and adoption of cyber-attacks as well as interference in the internal affairs of its neighbours.
New measures
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.
"It is under continuous review and our participation can be cancelled by me as president at any time," he warned.
Simultaneously, the US Treasury said it had taken action against the Revolutionary Guards under a 2001 executive order to hit sources of terror funding and added four companies that allegedly support the group to its sanctions list.
'The worst deal'
Trump had repeatedly pledged to overturn one of his predecessor Barack Obama's crowning foreign policy achievements, deriding it as "the worst deal" and one agreed to out of "weakness".
The agreement stalled Iran's nuclear program and marginally thawed relations between Iran and what Tehran dubs the "Great Satan", but opponents, and even some supporters, say it also prevented efforts to challenge Iranian influence across the Middle East.
But since coming to office, Trump has faced intense lobbying from international allies and much of his own national security team, who argue the agreement should remain in place.
US concerns about the Guards could also weaken the deal. Trump stopped short of designating the powerful military faction a global terror organisation, as some hawks demanded, but his announcement of targeted sanctions is still likely to trigger an angry Iranian response.
