WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will say Friday the Iran nuclear deal is no longer in U.S. national security interests, but he won’t withdraw from the landmark 2015 accord or immediately re-impose sanctions against Tehran, according to U.S. officials and outside advisers to the administration.
Trump’s speech from the White House will outline specific faults he finds in the pact but will also focus on an array of Iran’s troubling non-nuclear activities, four officials and advisers said. Those include Tehran’s ballistic missile program, support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and other groups that destabilize the region, including in Yemen, human rights abuses and cyber warfare.
In his speech, Trump will notify Congress that he is “decertifying” the deal, arguing that while Iran may be complying with the letter of the agreement, the accord itself is not sufficient to be in U.S. interests.
Under current U.S. law, Trump faces a Sunday deadline to notify Congress whether Iran is complying with the accord that was negotiated over 18 months by the Obama administration and determine if it remains a national security priority. (AP)