Trump warns Iran against restarting nuke program
WASHINGTON — Weighing U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear accord, President Trump declared on Tuesday that if the Iranians “restart their nuclear program, they will have bigger problems than they’ve ever had before.”
Trump issued his warning alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in the Oval Office, where the two allies discussed the multinational nuclear agreement, the war in Syria and trade issues.
At a joint news conference Tuesday, Trump was asked by reporters if he might be willing to stay in the Iran agreement. He replied, “People know my views on the Iran deal. ... It’s insane, it’s ridiculous. It should have never been made.”
One of Macron’s main objectives during his three-day visit to Washington is to persuade Trump to stay in the accord, which is aimed at restricting Iran’s devel- opment of nuclear weapons. Trump, skeptical of the pact’s effectiveness, has been eager to pull out as a May 12 waiver deadline nears to come up with fixes to the deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned the Trump administration Tuesday that pulling out would undermine America’s talks with North Korea by proving the U.S. reneges on its promises.
He said if Trump withdraws, Iran would “most likely” abandon the deal as well. Zarif added that would free Iran to re- sume enrichment activity beyond the limits imposed by the 2015 accord.
Trump remains publicly undecided on the deal, saying Tuesday “no one knows” what he’ll do at the deadline he set to determine America’s position. But he reminded his French counterpart of what he sees as flaws in the agreement, which he said fails to address ballistic missiles or Iran’s activities in Yemen or Syria.