Trump: Iran is Behind Every Problem in the Middle East

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated on Tuesday, March 13, that Iran is behind every problem in the Middle East. Speaking to soldiers at an airbase in San Diego, California, he said: 'We are currently working with our allies and partners to close off Iran's path to nuclear weapons and to counter this country's support for terrorism and bloodshed around the world.' Trump added: 'Wherever we go in the Middle East, it is Iran that is behind every problem. We will deal with it seriously.' American officials accuse Iran of being the root cause of most problems in the Middle East, citing issues such as Iran's support for Bashar al-Assad's government in the Syrian civil war or its military support for Houthi Shiite rebels in the Yemeni civil war. The U.S. continues to consider Iran the most prominent state sponsor of terrorism, accusing it of providing advice, financial assistance, advanced equipment, and new tactics to 'terrorist groups' across the Middle East. Tehran, on the other hand, has always denied these accusations, deeming them 'baseless' or 'malicious.' The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also accused Washington of 'creating, expanding, and supporting terrorist groups.' The Iranian government claims that its military presence in countries like Iraq or Syria is 'to combat terrorism.' In another part of his speech, Trump criticized the nuclear agreement with Iran, calling it 'one of the worst deals' he has seen. He questioned why the U.S. gave Iran $150 billion. Previously, Trump has repeatedly labeled the JCPOA as 'the worst' deal in U.S. history and has called for its amendment. On January 12, he announced that it would be the last time he would issue a waiver for the suspension of nuclear sanctions against Iran, stating that the 'catastrophic' flaws in the nuclear deal must be fixed within 120 days. Trump set four conditions for the U.S. to continue its participation in the JCPOA: 'immediate access' for international inspectors to all Iranian sites and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, guarantees against approaching nuclear weapons, and limitations on Iran's long-range missile program; as Trump stated, the long-range missile program and Iran's nuclear weapons program are 'inseparable.' Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany, reached an agreement in July 2015 to resolve Iran's nuclear program and lift international sanctions against it. Under this agreement, the JCPOA, Iran agreed to halt many of its nuclear activities. Reports have previously emerged regarding negotiations between the U.S. State Department and European countries. According to these reports, the negotiations aim to reach a supplementary agreement that addresses the development and testing of Iran's long-range missiles and ensures rigorous inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as addressing the shortcomings of the 'sunset clause' regulations. According to the 'sunset clause,' after 10 years, Iran can increase its enrichment centrifuges, and after 15 years, it is allowed to increase its stock of less-enriched uranium. Iran has not accepted renegotiating the JCPOA or adding issues outside the JCPOA; Iran states that it will act according to the provisions outlined in the JCPOA if the U.S. withdraws.