Trump: Iran Was Trying to Dominate the Middle East

The President of the United States has once again addressed Iran and his decision to withdraw from the JCPOA on his Twitter account. In a phone conversation with the President of France, Trump also called for an agreement regarding 'all of Iran's destabilizing actions.' On May 24, Donald Trump tweeted, 'Remember how Iran behaved badly while the (nuclear) agreement was in place.' He added, 'They were trying to dominate the entire Middle East by any means possible. Now, that will not happen.' The White House stated that during the phone call between the U.S. President and the French President, which took place on Saturday, Trump emphasized the need to reach an agreement that addresses all of Iran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East. Prior to this, the French presidency stated that Emmanuel Macron expressed 'deep concern for stability in the Middle East' during the call. Macron and other European leaders had previously urged Trump to remain in the nuclear agreement with Iran. Both the French President and several other senior European officials, including the German Chancellor and the British Foreign Secretary, visited him in Washington just days before Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement. Ultimately, the outcome was not as the Europeans had hoped. Following Trump's exit from the nuclear agreement, European leaders, as well as China and Russia, other negotiating parties with Tehran, emphasized the need to maintain and adhere to the JCPOA. The British Prime Minister, in a phone call with the Iranian President on Sunday, stated that his country and its European allies are committed to preserving the nuclear agreement with Iran. This comes as John Bolton, Trump's National Security Advisor, mentioned in an interview with CNN the possibility of sanctions against European companies dealing with Iran, stating, 'Everything depends on the actions of other governments.' The U.S. President had called for reforms in the JCPOA that would permanently prevent Iran's nuclear program, remove time limitations related to it, include extensive inspections, and prevent the development of ballistic missile programs. Tehran rejected renegotiation of the JCPOA. Iran denies interference in regional countries' affairs and states that its missile program is for defensive purposes and is unwilling to end it.