Donald Trump: I Will Not Tear Up the Iran Deal, But There Will Be Strict Oversight

Donald Trump, the American billionaire and presidential candidate, has distanced himself from the positions of other Republican candidates regarding the nuclear deal with Iran, stating that if elected, he will not tear up the agreement but will impose strict oversight on it. Mr. Trump, who is leading in the Republican polls for the U.S. presidential election, said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that it is difficult to "tear up" the U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement, but if he becomes president, "strict oversight will be applied to this agreement so that they (the Iranians) have no escape routes." According to Reuters, during this interview aired on Sunday, August 16, he described the American negotiating team, including Secretary of State John Kerry, as "incompetent." Mr. Trump also stated that it is difficult to "tear up" the agreement as some critics have claimed. He added, "But I am an expert in oversight of contracts. No matter how bad this agreement is, I will be stricter in overseeing it." The nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., China, Russia, France, and Britain along with Germany, was signed on July 14 in Vienna, and under it, severe restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program will lead to the reduction or lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran. According to some reports, the lifting of sanctions will provide Iran with $150 billion in financial resources, an opportunity that Trump says he would never have allowed Iran to access if he were at the negotiating table. According to this Republican candidate, such capital would turn Iran into a wealthy and powerful country that would enable it to access nuclear weapons and "conquer parts of the world that you cannot imagine." He added, "This situation will lead to a nuclear holocaust." Mr. Trump also emphasized that Iran will gain access to this money regardless of whether Congress rejects the agreement. This American billionaire stated, "The problem is that when I come to power, they will gain access to $150 billion. Do you think if this agreement is rejected, they will still receive this money? I found out about this a week ago. It's unbelievable. If this agreement is rejected, they will still have this money. Iran will become incredibly powerful and wealthy." Congress has until September 17 to reject or approve the nuclear agreement with Iran. President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials have stated that this agreement is the best achievement that blocks Iran's path to obtaining nuclear weapons and brings stability to the Middle East. Republicans in Congress say they will reject this agreement, and Mr. Obama has threatened to veto it. Reports indicate that Congress will likely not have enough votes to override the president's veto. Another report related to the Iran nuclear agreement states that Mike Huckabee, another Republican presidential candidate, will travel to Israel this week to discuss the nuclear agreement with several Israeli officials while also raising funds for his campaign. This former governor of Arkansas, like most Republicans, is opposed to the mentioned agreement. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Huckabee has stated that this agreement fundamentally equips a terrorist regime. He said on CNN on Sunday, "The Iranian government is not trustworthy. We have reached an agreement that gives us nothing but allows the Iranians to ultimately obtain nuclear weapons, and that is foolish." Huckabee's trip to Israel comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also strongly opposed to the agreement. A few weeks ago, Huckabee stated that supporting the Iran agreement "leads Israelis to the slaughterhouse." Some American Jewish politicians, the Anti-Defamation League, and some Israeli leaders criticized this Republican candidate for referencing the Holocaust, but Mike Huckabee said that his reference was to the statements of Iranian leaders about "destroying Israel."