Trump: U.S. Withdrawal from JCPOA Has Changed Iran's Behavior in the Region

On Thursday, June 7, Donald Trump stated that the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, has changed the behavior of the Islamic Republic in the region. In a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Japan, Trump also expressed hope that Iran would once again sit down for negotiations with the United States. Trump announced on May 8 that the U.S. was withdrawing from the JCPOA and would not only reinstate suspended sanctions against Iran but also impose new penalties on Tehran. Following the U.S. exit from the JCPOA, several major European companies announced they would cease their operations in Iran. The U.S. President further emphasized that Iran is no longer paying much attention to the Mediterranean or the ongoing situations in Syria, Yemen, and many other places. He noted that Iran has become a completely different country in the past three months. Trump asserted that Iran is not the same as it was a few months ago, and its leaders have changed. He hopes they will reach a point where they come to negotiate with the U.S. and reach an agreement that is good for both sides and for everyone. Trump has repeatedly criticized the nuclear agreement, stating that the Islamic Republic continued to expand its ballistic missile program and support for terrorism in the region after the JCPOA. After the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo outlined 12 demands for a new agreement with Iran, stating that if Iran does not change its behavior, the U.S. would impose the 'harshest sanctions in history' against Iran. U.S. officials claim that the goal of the new strategy towards Iran is to change the behavior of its leaders. Meanwhile, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic ordered the Atomic Energy Organization to increase uranium enrichment capacity in response to the U.S. exit from the JCPOA. In this context, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization announced that the facilities necessary for the construction of advanced centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear center would be ready within a month. Ali Akbar Salehi also stated that the infrastructure for creating several hundred thousand SWUs in Natanz is ready, and Iran's new actions are 'not contrary to the JCPOA.'