President Donald Trump has announced that he has reached a decision on the fate of the Iran nuclear deal, but declined to reveal what it is. Speaking after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump said 'I have decided' three times when asked about his plans, but refused to elaborate when pressed.
Trump's comments come a day after he described the 2015 agreement, negotiated under President Barack Obama with Iran and five other world powers, as 'an embarrassment' and 'one of the worst and most one-sided transactions' the United States has ever entered into. In a fiery speech to the General Assembly, he called Iran a 'murderous regime' and warned that the deal provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear programme.
Iran has responded by stating it is prepared to immediately resume nuclear activities prohibited under the deal if the United States withdraws. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran is ready for any possible scenario, including restarting its nuclear work. However, UN ambassador Nikki Haley said Trump's comments did not necessarily signal a withdrawal, but rather his dissatisfaction with the agreement.
Nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have reported no evidence that Iran is in breach of the deal. The Trump administration has suggested that the agreement needs to be scrapped or renegotiated with tougher safeguards. Trump reiterated that the world has not heard the last of his concerns about the deal.
