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Trump lays out new Iran strategy Friday, complicating European ties

By Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump announces his Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Kirstjen Nielsen in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will lay out a more confrontational strategy towards Iran by the United States on Friday in a speech in which he is likely to strike a blow at an international Iran nuclear deal, complicating U.S. relations with European allies.

 

U.S. officials said Trump was expected to announce that he will not certify the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, believing the agreement is not in the national interests of the United States. He had certified it twice before but aides said he was reluctant to do so a third time.

 

Trump could have a last minute change of heart before he outlines his administration's new approach towards Iran in speech at the White House at 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT) on Friday.

 

The step would not withdraw the United States from the deal but would give the U.S. Congress 60 days to decide whether to reimpose the sanctions on Tehran that were suspended under an agreement that was negotiated by the United States and other world powers during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

 

International inspectors say Iran is in technical compliance with the accord, but Trump says Tehran is in violation of the spirit of the agreement and has done nothing to rein in its ballistic missile programme or its financial and military support for Hezbollah and other extremist groups.

 

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said the U.S. approach towards Iran is to work with allies in the Middle East to contain Tehran's activities.

 

"We have footprints on the ground, naval and Air Force is there to just demonstrate our resolve, our friendship, and try to deter anything that any country out there may do," Kelly said.

 

European allies are warning of a split with the United States on the issue.

 

This week, Trump has heard appeals from British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron for the United States to certify the deal for the sake of allied unity.

 

"It's imperative that Europe sticks together on this issue," German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told the RND German newspaper group. "We also have to tell the Americans that their behaviour on the Iran issue will drive us Europeans into a common position with Russia and China against the USA."

 

Signed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, the European Union and Iran, the deal lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

 

Trump has called the accord "an embarrassment" and "the worst deal ever."

 

European officials have categorically ruled out renegotiating the deal, but have said they share Trump's concerns over Iran's destabilising influence in the Middle East.

 

The threat of new action from Washington has prompted a public display of unity from the rival factions among Iran's rulers.

 

CIA Director Mike Pompeo on Thursday kept up a steady drumbeat of Trump administration criticism of Iran, saying Tehran is "mounting a ruthless drive to be the hegemonic power in the region."

 

Iran’s intelligence service and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "are the cudgels of a despotic theocracy, with the IRGC accountable only to a Supreme Leader. They’re the vanguard of a pernicious empire that is expanding its power and influence across the Middle East," Pompeo said in remarks at the University of Texas in Austin.

 

In Tampa, Florida, the head of U.S. Central Command said he was concerned about Iran's long-term activities in the region and he would continue to focus on protecting U.S. troops, even as Iran has said U.S. regional military bases would be at risk if further sanctions were passed.

 

"Iran is kind of a long-term destabilising actor in the region and so we remain concerned about their activities as well," U.S. General Joseph Votel told reporters.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland; additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Warren Strobel in Washington and Idrees Ali in Florida; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-13

[alanrchase]

I don't think Trump cares what the content of any agreements are. His only interest is that they should have his name associated with them.

[Cats4ever]

Tail wagging the dog, yet again.

[retarius]

Agreements don't have a spirit. There is nothing in the agreement about spirit. It was about nuclear development not about ballistic missiles. Trump is reneging on an agreement signed with allies as well as foes. He will cost the US what shred of credibility it has left.

[Golgota]

"Well of course you served me what I ordered, but you didn't served me the spirit of what I ordered, therefore I will not pay you"

 

"Well of course you sold me the car I wanted, but you didn't sold me the spirit of the car I wanted, so take back your car and gimme my money back"

 

This is a wonderful new way to make business...

Edited October 13, 2017 by Golgota

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, Golgota said:

"Well of course you served me what I ordered, but you didn't served me the spirit of what I ordered, therefore I will not pay you"

 

"Well of course you sold me the car I wanted, but you didn't sold me the spirit of the car I wanted, so take back your car and gimme my money back"

 

This is a wonderful new way to make business...

Actually, if you look at Trump's business record, he's made a career out of reneging for most of it.

[KarenBravo]

3 hours ago, alanrchase said:

I don't think Trump cares what the content of any agreements are. His only interest is that they should have his name associated with them.

No......it's all about erasing Obama's legacies..........

[edthhd]

This is definitely a path that could easily lead to WWIII. It will give Netan-yahoo a license to attack Iran. Iran will retaliate with most of the Islamic world joining in to decimate Israel. Israel will respond with their Nuclear arsenal bringing Pakistan in with its' nukes bringing in the USA and we are all doomed. The only positive note I can see here is that the earth will be rid of humankind and maybe restore itself.

[nasanews]

America has two faces and uses double standards.  Obama made a deal with Iran and now Trump doesn't want it.

[Morch]

7 hours ago, retarius said:

Agreements don't have a spirit. There is nothing in the agreement about spirit. It was about nuclear development not about ballistic missiles. Trump is reneging on an agreement signed with allies as well as foes. He will cost the US what shred of credibility it has left.

 

The above is correct.

It is worth noting, though, that while Iran emphasizes that the agreement does not pertain to its ballistic missile program (or any other activities), it also moans about the USA not lifting (and in fact, enhancing) existing separate sanctions aimed to curtail these "non-nuclear" issues.  

[Morch]

4 hours ago, edthhd said:

This is definitely a path that could easily lead to WWIII. It will give Netan-yahoo a license to attack Iran. Iran will retaliate with most of the Islamic world joining in to decimate Israel. Israel will respond with their Nuclear arsenal bringing Pakistan in with its' nukes bringing in the USA and we are all doomed. The only positive note I can see here is that the earth will be rid of humankind and maybe restore itself.

 

There is nothing about this that gives Israel a "license" to attack Iran, and such an attack is a very doubtful prospect anyhow. As for "most of the Islamic world joining in...", may want to make yourself familiar with long standing divisions within the Muslim world before posting such generalizations.

[Morch]

50 minutes ago, nasanews said:

America has two faces and uses double standards.  Obama made a deal with Iran and now Trump doesn't want it.

 

Double face, perhaps. But double standards? Don't know that it specifically applies.

While Trump is POTUS, his position on this does not represent a consensus, not even within his own administration.

[KarenBravo]

Actually, this is all Obama's fault.

If he hadn't taken the p1ss out of Trump at the White House Correspondent's dinner, he would never have run for president.

It's all about revenge for that moment.

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

There is nothing about this that gives Israel a "license" to attack Iran, and such an attack is a very doubtful prospect anyhow. As for "most of the Islamic world joining in...", may want to make yourself familiar with long standing divisions within the Muslim world before posting such generalizations.

There are two ME common denominators. Israel and Money. I can certainly see Benny Yahoo rewarding Tango Delta with a strike against Persia. UNESCO? Pa! Who wants culture anyway....

[peterpop]

UNESCO is a horrible corrupt organisation that exists only to provide high salaries for useless relatives of politicians world wide.  The original goals were very noble.  Trump does not get much right but this time he is dead right.  Britain should do the same.  The UN as a whole is equally useless but it does allow occasional semblance of legality and release of pressure.

[boomerangutang]

  from the OP....   

Iran’s intelligence service and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "are the cudgels of a despotic theocracy, with the IRGC accountable only to a Supreme Leader. They’re the vanguard of a pernicious empire that is expanding its power and influence across the Middle East," Pompeo said in remarks at the University of Texas in Austin.

 

....it sounds like he's describing the scoundrels occupying the Oval Office.

 

I would call Trump a horse's ass, but a horse's ass actually has some redeemable qualities - it's good for powering a horse's rear legs, and covering its butt hole.

[pegman]

Americans once again show their foreign policy is owned by Bibi. Time to pull the UN out of NYC.

[Kiwiken]

10 hours ago, peterpop said:

UNESCO is a horrible corrupt organisation that exists only to provide high salaries for useless relatives of politicians world wide.  The original goals were very noble.  Trump does not get much right but this time he is dead right.  Britain should do the same.  The UN as a whole is equally useless but it does allow occasional semblance of legality and release of pressure.

The UN has become bloated that much is true. It is in need of reform. It needs to be more Democratic and open but the big 5 Permanent members ensure this does not happen. UNESCO is not useless but like other parts it is bloated and inefficient. Protecting World Heritage is a must but all History is precious not just Selected parts. As to the UN being useless that is a no. While it has not stopped local conflict it has prevented total Global War thus far. 

As you weaken the UN without Democratic reform So thus do you move more to the situation left open by the inadequacies of the League of Nations.

[Morch]

On 10/13/2017 at 6:31 PM, Grouse said:

There are two ME common denominators. Israel and Money. I can certainly see Benny Yahoo rewarding Tango Delta with a strike against Persia. UNESCO? Pa! Who wants culture anyway....

 

There's oil, there's Islam, there's plenty more to the ME. What you "can see" doesn't stack up with reality, though. Even if the Israelis ever had a realistic option to carry out an effective attack, that's way more complicated nowadays. It would also involve, one way or the other, quite a few other ME countries. Netanyahu's been around for years, talking his head off about Iran this and Iran that. For all his talk, there was no Israeli attack, even when conditions were more favorable. And like Trump, his views are not shared by many of Israel's intelligence and military chiefs.

[Morch]

On 10/13/2017 at 7:40 PM, boomerangutang said:

 

 

....it sounds like he's describing the scoundrels occupying the Oval Office.

 

I would call Trump a horse's ass, but a horse's ass actually has some redeemable qualities - it's good for powering a horse's rear legs, and covering its butt hole.

 

No, it isn't. You're just doing your hyperbole thing again.

 

There's nothing in the USA that resembles the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the USA's intelligence services can be said to be less than appreciative of Trump (as you often alleged on previous topics).