Trump Expresses Hope for a New Agreement with Iran

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, expressed hope on Thursday, May 9, that the United States would reach a new and 'fair' agreement with Iran, while noting that the strongest, most severe, and most precise sanctions would be imposed against Iran. Speaking at a Republican gathering in Elkhart, Indiana, Trump criticized the Obama administration for signing the nuclear agreement with Iran, calling it a 'disastrous' deal that allows Iran to advance its nuclear weapons program. He emphasized that, given this, other wealthy countries in the region would compete with Iran and seek nuclear weapons. Trump continued to outline the negative aspects of the JCPOA, stating that under this agreement, Iran received $150 billion, in addition to $1.8 billion in cash, which Iran has used for its destructive and deadly activities throughout the Middle East. The U.S. President stressed that the strongest, most severe, and most precise sanctions would be imposed against Iran. Trump added that he hopes to reach a good, fair agreement with Iran, but insisted that they cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. He stated that the U.S. must have access to Iranian sites, including military sites, to ensure that Iran is not cheating. Iranian officials have previously rejected any renegotiation of the JCPOA. Meanwhile, Trump warned on Wednesday that 'Iran must negotiate or something else will happen.' After announcing on Tuesday that the U.S. would withdraw from the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA and reimpose suspended sanctions on Iran, the White House stated that new sanctions would be ready by next week. Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., reached a comprehensive agreement in July 2015 after two years of negotiations to resolve Tehran's nuclear program, which included halting some of Iran's nuclear activities and suspending many U.S. and UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. Trump has been a staunch opponent of this agreement since his presidential campaign in 2016, describing it as 'the worst deal ever.' In his speech, Trump also referred to the JCPOA as a source of 'shame' for the U.S. and recalled the incident of American sailors being detained by Iran during the nuclear agreement, stating, 'Remember the 10 sailors who were humiliated in front of the world and detained for no reason.' The U.S. Navy sailors were detained in January 2016 after their boats reportedly entered Iranian territorial waters and were held for one night. During their brief detention, footage and photos of the sailors were released. Trump also criticized the 'payment of money' for the release of American citizens from Iran during Obama’s administration.