US President Donald Trump warned the other signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that he would be pulling the United States out of it if significant changes were not made. Trump wants the loopholes to be removed, the inspection terms tightened and several other issues to be addressed including Iran’s belligerence in the region and its ballistic missile program.

The deadline is 12th May and it is still uncertain what decision Trump is likely to make. But no matter what he decides, the consequences will be significant.

The French President and German Chancellor are currently trying to convince Trump to remain in the deal. Emmanuel Macron has already met with Trump to discuss the subject and Angela Merkel has a trip planned to Washington for the same purpose.

Despite the European support for the nuclear agreement, there are some officials and leaders that are strongly opposed to it. One of them is the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who also has organised a trip to Washington to discuss it.

Iranian regime, of course, has not been silent on the subject either. It has issued statements to try and intimidate the US into keeping the deal intact. Iran is saying that if Trump pulls out, the security of the region will be at risk. However, the security of the region is already under great threat and it is precisely because of Iran’s belligerence and interference in the internal affairs of other nations. This is why Trump is so strongly opposed to the deal.

Trump has pointed out that even if the nuclear agreement puts a stop to Iran’s enrichment for military purposes, the Iranian regime’s military is still gaining strength in the region and this is evident by its destructive acts in Syria and Yemen, for example. Furthermore, Iran is widening its presence in Gaza, Lebanon and Iraq.

The US president has reiterated that the national security of the US is at risk as well as its interests in the region. To make the deal even worse, it gave Iranian regime a huge sum of money through the lifting of sanctions which Iran has proceeded to use to fund its malign activities instead of improving the domestic situation.

Trump has said that he wants the deal to be renegotiated so that it becomes the deal it should have been in the first place. The Iranian regime’s spread of chaos has caused the death of millions in Syria and the same is happening in Yemen. The people of Iran are also calling on their leadership to focus on domestic problems instead of meddling elsewhere.

Any renegotiation or exit from the deal must take into account the fact that the Iranian regime has a history of lies and deception. It cannot be trusted and there are plenty of examples to support this statement. You cannot give Iran the benefit of the doubt, like Obama did, because it emboldens it.

The next move must be to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its belligerence. For the sake of the people of Iran, for the sake of the people in the region and for the sake of the international community as a whole.

Source » ncr-iran