Trump threatens to nix Iran nuclear deal

WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Donald Trump reignited the decades-old feud of the United States with Iran on Friday, vowing to confront the ''fanatical regime,'' and throwing a landmark international nuclear agreement into doubt.

In a speech pocked with grievances dating to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Trump railed against the ''Iranian dictatorship, its sponsorship of terrorism, and its continuing aggression in the Middle East and all around the world.''

And he threatened to rip up the 2015 agreement curbing Iran's nuclear program, saying it had failed to address Iranian subversion in its region and its illegal missile program.

''It is under continuous review and our participation can be canceled by me, as president, at any time,'' he warned.

And he later lashed out at countries that have stood by the agreement, appearing to accuse them of placing trade profits ahead of security.

''Many people talking, with much agreement, on my Iran speech today. Participants in the deal are making lots of money on trade with Iran!'' he wrote on Twitter.

Trump's bellicose message brought an instant rebuke from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who – also leaning heavily on past injustices – declared the United States was ''more than ever against the Iranian people.''

But behind Trump's hardline rhetoric was a subtle but significant presidential climbdown.

He stopped short of nixing a deal negotiated with European allies, China and Russia to lift sanctions against Tehran in return for Iranian curbs on uranium enrichment.