US President Donald Trump said at the White House on Friday that the Iran nuclear deal is no longer in US national security interests, and said his administration will seek to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities and will impose additional sanctions on Tehran.
Trump said the new strategy will also seek to address the proliferation of Iran's missiles and weapons.
Trump is also urging Congress to toughen requirements for Iran to continue to get relief from US sanctions, highlighting troubling non-nuclear Iranian behavior not covered by the deal, US media reported.
Trump said: "By its own terms, the Iran deal was supposed to contribute to regional and international peace and security. And yet, while the United States adheres to our commitment under the deal, the Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict, terror and turmoil throughout the Middle East and beyond."
Trump stated Iran is not living up to the "spirit" of the nuclear deal that it signed in 2015.
"Importantly, Iran is not living up to the spirit of the deal. So today, in recognition of the increasing menace posed by Iran and after extensive consultations with our allies, I am announcing a new strategy to address the full range of Iran's destructive actions."
HE said the US would work with its allies to counter the Tehran’s regime's destabilizing activity and support for terrorist proxies in the region.
He also said the US will impose additional sanctions on Iran to block their financing of terror and Washington would address Iran’s proliferation of missiles and weapons that threaten its neighbors' global trade and freedom of navigation.
“And finally, we will deny the regime all paths to a nuclear weapon," he said.
"I am authorising the Treasury Department to further sanction the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its support for terrorism and to apply sanctions to its officials, agents and affiliates. I urge our allies to join us in taking strong actions to curb Iran's continued dangerous and destabilizing behavior."
"Based on the factual record I have put forward, I am announcing today that we cannot and will not make this certification. We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror and the very real threat of Iran's nuclear breakout," he said.
"Key House and Senate leaders are drafting legislation that would amend the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act to strengthen enforcement, prevent Iran from developing an internat (sic) -- this is so totally important -- an intercontinental ballistic missile and make all restrictions on Iran's nuclear activity permanent under U.S. law. So important."
He said that in the event of not being able to reach a solution with Congress and US allies, “then the agreement will be terminated. It is under continued review and our participation can be cancelled by me, as president, at any time. As we have seen in North Korea, the longer we ignore a threat, the worse that threat becomes. It is why we are determined that the world's leading sponsor of terrorism will never obtain nuclear weapons."
