Trump Decertifies Iran Deal, Outlines New Iran Strategy

Trump Takes On Tehran: What Future for Iran Nuclear Deal?

Trump Targets Iran Deal and Hints at War

Amid news he will go to Congress to de-certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal, Donald Trump called a gathering of military leaders Thursday night "the calm before the storm." We speak to Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian-American Council

US - At United Nations, Rouhani Defends Iran Nuclear Deal against 'Rogue Newcomers'

Is Trump Trying to Sabotage the Nuclear Deal to Lay Groundwork for War With Iran?

The White House appears ready to abandon the landmark Iranian nuclear deal in favor of what experts say could lead to war with Iran. The New York Times reported last week that President Donald Trump has instructed his national security aides to find a rationale for declaring that Iran is violating the terms of the accord. The order came despite the fact the Trump administration reluctantly certified that Iran has complied with its obligations under the agreement earlier this month. Last week, Trump intensified his threats against Iran during a speech in Youngstown, Ohio. Observers say Trump’s actions are laying the groundwork for a disastrous military confrontation with Iran. We speak with Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council.

European Leaders React with Surprise, Defiance to Trump's Remarks

60 Minutes: Benjamin Netanyahu Discusses Trump & Iran Nuke Deal

Trump "Feels Very Warmly" About Israel and Jews, Says Netanyahu

Santorum on How Trump Will 'Destroy' the Iran Nuclear Deal

Nov. 21, 2016 - 4:39 - Former senator weighs in on president-elect's agenda

Inside Story: Has the Iran Nuclear Deal Changed Anything?

It's a year since the signing of a wide-ranging deal designed to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons. Since then, the Iranian government has largely lived up to its side of the bargain. The US says the world is a safer place. But the deal is fragile to say the least. The upcoming elections in the US and in Iran threaten to derail the whole agreement. Inside Story looks at whether the deal has had any impact in Iran and beyond. And why hasn't it made the region more peaceful?

Op-Ed: Senators Who Took Money from Iran

ARUTZ SHEVA: Democrats in favor of a deal that will let a terrorist regime go nuclear have taken money from lobbies for that regime. And that includes Biden, Kerry and Gillibrand.

Senator Markey has announced his support for the Iran deal that will let the terrorist regime inspect its own Parchin nuclear weapons research site, conduct uranium enrichment, build advanced centrifuges, buy ballistic missiles, fund terrorism and have a near zero breakout time to a nuclear bomb.

There was no surprise there.

Markey had topped the list of candidates supported by the Iran Lobby. And the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) had maxed out its contributions to his campaign.

After more fake suspense, Al Franken, another IAPAC backed politician who also benefited from Iran Lobby money, came out for the nuke sellout.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Iran Lobby’s third Dem senator, didn’t bother playing coy like her colleagues. She came out for the deal a while back even though she only got half the IAPAC cash that Franken and Markey received.

As did Senator Gillibrand, who had benefited from IAPAC money back when she first ran for senator and whose position on the deal should have come as no surprise. » | Daniel Greenfield | Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Obama Secures Iran Victory as 34th Senator Endorses Nuclear Deal

THE TELEGRAPH: John Kerry appeals to remaining waverers after support from Democrat Barbara Mikulski ensures Obama veto will be upheld if Congress rejects deal

The Obama administration has secured enough support in the Senate to ensure that the Iran nuclear deal will survive a congressional vote, but John Kerry warned remaining waverers that rejection of the agreement would be a “self-destructive blow” to US credibility.

Kerry was speaking in Philadelphia less than an hour after Democrat Barbara Mikulski became the 34th senator to support the deal, ensuring a landmark victory for the Obama administration’s efforts to prevent it being derailed.

Mikulski’s support for the agreement means that Obama has enough votes in the Senate to uphold his veto if Congress rejects the July deal as expected. But the adminstration is still hoping to amass 41 votes, which would spare Obama from having to use his veto and spend political capital. (+ video) » | Julian Borger in New York | Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Iran Unveils New Missile, Says Seeks Peace through Strength

REUTERS.COM: Iran on Saturday unveiled a new surface-to-surface missile it said could strike targets with pin-point accuracy within a range of 500 km (310 miles) and it said military might was a precondition for peace and effective diplomacy.

The defense ministry's unveiling of the solid-fuel missile, named Fateh 313, came little more than a month after Iran and world powers reached a deal that requires Tehran to abide by new limits on its nuclear program in return for Western governments easing economic sanctions.

According to that deal, any transfer to Iran of ballistic missile technology during the next eight years will be subject to the approval of the United Nations Security Council, and the United States has promised to veto any such requests. An arms embargo on conventional weapons also stays, preventing their import and export for five years.

But Iran has said it will not follow parts of the nuclear deal that restricts its military capabilities, a stance reaffirmed by President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday. » | Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Gareth Jones | Dubai | Saturday, August 22, 2015

White House Warns Chuck Schumer: Disapprove of Iran Deal at Your Own Peril

Senator Schumer had previously defied the Obama administration,
questioning the merit of forcing through the Affordable Care Act.

THE GUARDIAN: Spokesman Josh Earnest calls Democrat’s defiance on nuclear deal ‘not particularly surprising’ and says it may cost him party leadership in Senate

The White House fired a shot across the bows of New York senator Chuck Schumer on Friday for defying its position on Iran, warning that fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill may remember his voting record when deciding who to elect as their next leader.

Though Schumer’s announcement that he would vote in disapproval of the nuclear deal – which leaked mysteriously during the middle of the Republican debate on Thursday – is unlikely to derail the process, it represents an embarrassing rift with a senior Democrat who had once been one of Barack Obama’s staunchest allies.

Schumer is expected to take over as leader of the party’s caucus in the Senate when Harry Reid, currently the minority leader, steps down after the next presidential election. » | Dan Roberts in Washington | Friday, August 7, 2015

Related »

Leading US Democrat Speaks Out against US-Iran Deal

Mr Schumer joins a handful of Jewish Democrat Congress
members who are against the deal

BBC AMERICA: Leading US Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer has announced that he is breaking ranks with President Obama by opposing the Iran nuclear deal.

He said there was a very real risk that Iran would use the agreement to pursue what he called its nefarious goals rather than moderate its approach.

Mr Schumer is the first Democratic Party senator to take such a stand.

Correspondents say his move is a serious blow to the president as he urges Congress to back the deal. » | Friday, August 7, 2015

Obama Foresees 'Another War in Middle East' without Iran Deal

President Barack Obama has warned that without the Iran nuclear deal, there will be another war in the Middle East. He said that those who voted for the War in Iraq are now opposing diplomacy with Iran

Obama’s speech »

Iran Nuclear Deal a 'Farce' Says Naftali Bennett - BBC News

The Israeli Education Minister, Naftali Bennett, has condemned the nuclear deal with Iran as a "farce"

Iran Nuclear Deal with US Sees Thousands Protest in Times Square

Protesters rally against the US nuclear deal with Iran
in New York's Times Square on 22 July.

THE GUARDIAN: An estimated 10,000 people, consisting mainly of pro-Israel supporters, chant ‘kill the deal’ and demand Congress vote down proposed nuclear agreement

Thousands of protesters packed into Times Square on Wednesday evening to demand that Congress vote down the proposed US deal with Iran.

As the crowd loomed behind police barricades, chants of “Kill the deal!” could be heard for blocks. The event, billed as the “Stop Iran rally” consisted mainly of pro-Israel supporters, though organizers said it represents Americans of all faiths and political convictions.

The group is asking Congress to reject the deal under which the US would agree to lift economic sanctions against Iran in return for measures to prevent the country from building nuclear weapons. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Criticises 'Arrogance' of the United States Following Nuclear Deal

Khamenei said US policies in the region
were "180 degrees" opposed to Iran's policies

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's Supreme Leader has praised his country's negotiators for reaching a nuclear deal, but lashed out at the US for seeking Iran's "surrender"

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has launched an attack on the United States and its Middle East policies, saying Washington sought Iran's "surrender".

Four days after the signing of a nuclear deal in Geneva – an agreement ten years in the making – Khamenei delivered a fiery speech at a Tehran mosque, punctuated by chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". He said he wanted politicians to examine the agreement to ensure national interests were preserved, as Iran would not allow the disruption of its revolutionary principles or defensive abilities.

An arch conservative with the last word on high matters of state, Khamenei repeatedly used the phrase "whether this text is approved or not", implying the accord has yet to win definitive backing from Iran's factionalised political establishment.

"Whether the deal is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon," he said.

"Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant US will not change." Read on and comment » | Reuters | Saturday, July 18, 2015

Netanyahu Rebuffs Philip Hammond over Iran Deal

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond holds a press
conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
at the latter's office in Jerusalem

THE TELEGRAPH: Israeli premier takes Foreign Secretary to task for remarks doubting whether Jewish State would have accepted any deal over Tehran's nuclear programme

Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a sharp rebuff to Philip Hammond over the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday, publicly dismissing the Foreign Secretary's assertion that Israel would have been unhappy with any agreement.

In a tense face-to-face exchange that reflected the gulf between Israel and the six world powers who negotiated with Tehran, Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, rejected the visiting British statesman's efforts to sell the pact signed this week in Vienna. At the same time, he tackled head-on criticisms Mr Hammond had voiced on the eve of his trip.

“Israelis know better than anyone else the cost of permanent conflict with Iran and it is wrong to suggest that Israel wants such an outcome. We [sic] seek a genuine and effective diplomatic solution," Mr Netanyahu told Mr Hammond in Jerusalem.

"The alternative to this deal is not war. The alternative is a better deal that would roll back Iran’s military nuclear program and tie the easing of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program to changes in Iran’s behaviour. That’s the kind of deal that would be welcomed in Tel Aviv and here in Israel’s capital Jerusalem."

The Israeli leader's comments were aimed directly at Mr Hammond's remarks on Wednesday when he told the House of Commons that Israel opposed any accord with Tehran and would prefer permanent conflict. » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Thursday, July 16, 2015

'Just Lit the Fuse' Warning That Iran Nuclear Deal Could Spark Middle East Arms Race

DAILY EXPRESS: CONCERNS have been raised that the historic nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers could spark to a Middle East arms race.

The deal, which was struck in Vienna yesterday, will allow Iran to carry out research in return for allowing United Nations (UN) officials access to sites which are suspect of being used to create an atomic bomb.

Iran, who will now be able to enrich uranium levels, have always maintained its nuclear programme is for energy and not for weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the decision makes the world more dangerous and the removal of sanctions was a mistake.

He said: "Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world.

"Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons."

Senator Ben Sasse, from the opposition Republican party in America, also condemned the deal which the US played a driving force in. He said: "Sadly, the Administration just lit the fuse for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

"We all know Iran's neighbours will not sit idly as the world's largest state-sponsor of terror becomes a nuclear-threshold state." » | Peter Henn | Wednesday, July 15, 2015