Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million to Hurricane Relief Efforts

[webfact]

Trump to announce decision on Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday

By Steve Holland and Parisa Hafezi

 

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for the launch of first lady Melania Trump's "Be Best" initiative in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 7, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON/ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he would announce a decision on Tuesday about the future of an international nuclear agreement with Iran, as Tehran hinted it might stay in the 2015 accord even if Washington pulls out.

 

Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the deal, which lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear ambitions, unless European allies who also signed the deal fix what he has called its shortcomings.

 

"I will be announcing my decision on the Iran Deal tomorrow from the White House at 2:00pm," Trump said in a Twitter post on Monday.

 

Under U.S. law, Trump has until May 12 to decide whether to reintroduce U.S. sanctions on Iran, which would deal a heavy blow to the agreement and likely upset Washington's European allies.

 

Bringing back U.S. sanctions could also trigger a backlash by Iran, which could resume its nuclear arms programme or punish U.S. allies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, diplomats said.

 

Trump has all but decided to withdraw from the accord but exactly how he will do so remains unclear, two White House officials and a source familiar with the administration’s internal debate told Reuters last week.

 

One of the officials said it was possible Trump will end up with a decision that "is not a full pullout," but was unable to describe what that might look like.

 

Under the agreement with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, Iran strictly limited uranium enrichment capacity to try to show that it was not trying to develop atomic bombs. In exchange, Iran received relief from economic sanctions.

 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Monday that Iran could remain in the accord even if the United States dropped out, but said that Tehran would fiercely resist U.S. pressure to limit its influence in the Middle East.

 

Rouhani said the Islamic Republic had been preparing for every possible scenario, including a deal without Washington - which would still include the other signatories that remain committed to it - or no deal at all.

 

"We are prepared for all scenarios and no change will occur in our lives next week," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state TV.

 

"If we can get what we want from a deal without America, then Iran will continue to remain committed to the deal. What Iran wants is our interests to be guaranteed by its non-American signatories ... In that case, getting rid of America's mischievous presence will be fine for Iran."

 

Trump's Iran tweet helped oil prices break $70 a barrel to reach their highest level since late 2014.

 

ALLIES COMMITTED TO DEAL

Britain, France and Germany remain committed to the accord and, in an effort to address U.S. complaints, want to open talks on Iran's ballistic missile programme, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 - when pivotal provisions of the deal expire - and its role in the wars in Syria and Yemen.

 

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, in Washington this week, said the deal's weaknesses could be remedied.

 

"At this moment Britain is working alongside the Trump administration and our French and German allies to ensure that they are," he said in a commentary in the New York Times.

 

Johnson met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence on Monday.

 

Diplomats say Iran would rather the deal remain intact out of concern about a revival of domestic unrest over economic hardships that mounted over the years sanctions were in place.

 

Sanctions imposed on Iran in early 2012 by the United States and European Union over its nuclear programme cut Iran's crude exports from a peak of 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) before the sanctions to a little more than 1 million bpd.

 

But Iran re-emerged as a major oil exporter in January 2016 when international sanctions were suspended in return for curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme.

 

On Monday, Iran's oil ministry's news service quoted senior officials as saying the country's oil industry will continue to develop even if the United States pulls out of the nuclear deal, and Tehran would see the accord as operational as long as it can sell oil.

 

Iran's clerical rulers have repeatedly ruled out reducing its sway across the region, as the United States and its European allies may seek as part of any new deal.

 

"If they want to make sure that we are not after a nuclear bomb, we have said repeatedly that we are not and we will not be," Rouhani said. "But if they want to weaken Iran and limit its influence whether in the region or globally, Iran will fiercely resist."

 

Underlining Tehran's growing regional clout, pro-Iranian group Hezbollah and its political allies won just over half the seats in Lebanon's parliamentary election, unofficial results showed on Monday.

 

(Additional reporting by John Irish, Michelle Martin and Joseph Nasr in Berlin and Michael Holden in London; Writing by Parisa Hafezi and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-08

[ezzra]

Only fools and horses believe that Iran, all of a sudden is a peace loving nation not hell bent on having nukes as threat to the world, and whatever

Trump will do to reign in those war wongers it will be not a moment too soon even though those silly european think otherwise because of loss of business opportunities..

 

Edited May 8, 2018 by ezzra

[Thailand]

Good chance of a U turn here with even Boris sinking to all time lows to link Trump to the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

Trump would love that one on his cv and he has already proven over and over that he swings with the wind to gain approval, no matter how bizarre it may seem.

[Topdoc]

Trump may need to pause for thought now that Hezbollah and its allies look set to emerge as the most powerful alliance in Lebanon’s next parliament.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

Trump will do to reign in those war wongers

After first encouraging them into a nuclear arms race.

• "The Trump Administration ... is convinced that the best way to limit the spreading nuclear danger is to expand and advertise its ability to annihilate its enemies.
• Trump has authorized a new nuclear warhead, the first in 34 years.
• the U.S. is expanding the scenarios under which the President would consider going nuclear to “significant non-nuclear strategic attacks,” including major cyberattacks. "

http://time.com/5128394/donald-trump-nuclear-poker/

February 1, 2018

Those policies don't sound like they'll reign in warmongers.

[dunroaming]

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

Trump will do to reign in those war wongers it will be not a moment too soon

So the number one king of the war-mongers will rein them in then?  Great line!

[dexterm]

When the missiles start flying, just remember who started this by breaking the US word and reneging on a deal that is working and keeping the peace.

[dunroaming]

30 minutes ago, dexterm said:

When the missiles start flying, just remember who started this by breaking the US word and reneging on a deal that is working and keeping the peace.

He will have so much to answer for but knowing how things work,  he is unlikely to be held accountable.

[riclag]

June 2017

"Demonstrators chanted “Death to Israel, Death to America,”, carrying banners reading “Israel should be wiped off the map” while people were shown burning the Israeli flag".

A all to familiar threat. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-ramadan-alqds-iran/iranians-chant-death-to-israel-burn-islamic-states-flag-at-rallies-tv-idUSKBN19E13O. 

America doesn't have these  all out mass protest, to destroy Iran . Bring the agreement back to the table.

While their at the negotiation table take those threats scribbled  in Farsi and Hebrew on the missile  off.

Edited May 8, 2018 by riclag

[midas]

from Dr Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury in the Reagan administration.

 

Do Americans Want To Die For Israel?

Quote

Only a few days remain before Trump announces whether he is pulling the US out of the multi-nation agreement with Iran. Iran has kept the agreement.  

Even Washington’s vassals—UK, France, Germany—have announced that they are sticking with the agreement.
So where is the pressure on Trump coming from to destroy the carefully negotiated agreement in which Iran agreed to forgo development of nuclear weapons?It comes from Israel and Israel’s American Fifth Column—the neoconservatives.

 

https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/05/07/americans-want-die-israel/

Edited May 8, 2018 by midas

[dexterm]

3 hours ago, midas said:

from Dr Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury in the Reagan administration.

 

Do Americans Want To Die For Israel?

 

https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/05/07/americans-want-die-israel/

 I agree...
"While Mr Trump may have concerns about the deal, many observers believe he is being put under pressure from hawks in his party who never liked the deal and, figures such as Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who considers Iran an existential threat. "

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-explained-what-happens-us-a8340386.html

 

The USA is being led into another unnecessary war in the Middle east seeking non existent WMD  again simply to protect the racist state of Israel. Virtually the same script as last time.

 

I hope the allies have more sense this time around.