Trump says he doesn't think Iran is complying with nuclear agreement
President Trump on Thursday said he doesn't believe Iran is in compliance with the 2015 deal to curtail its nuclear weapons program, weeks after his administration certified that it is in compliance.
The president made the comments to reporters during his working vacation in Bedminster, New Jersey, after his administration certified in July that Iran is living up to its end of the bargain under the nuclear agreement. The administration is required to notify Congress every 90 days whether Iran is in compliance with the deal reached under former President Obama, and July was the second time Mr. Trump's administration certified compliance.
But on Thursday, Mr. Trump said some "very strong things" will take place "if they don't get themselves in compliance."
"I don't think they're living up to the spirit of the agreement," Mr. Trump told reporters Thursday. "President Obama in his wisdom gave them $150 billion. He gave them $1.8 billion in cash. That's a hard one to figure. But that was his decision. I think it's a horrible agreement. But they are not in compliance with the agreement and they certainly are not in the spirit of the agreement in compliance, and I think you'll see some very strong things taking place if they don't get themselves in compliance."
Mr. Trump has long condemned the agreement his predecessor made, and on the campaign trail, pledged to rip up and renegotiate the deal.
"This deal -- if I win -- will be a totally different deal. This will be a totally different deal," Mr. Trump said at a rally on Sept. 9, 2015.
But Mr. Trump has yet to renegotiate the deal.
Mr. Trump did recently sign legislation Congress passed targeting sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, although Mr. Trump called the legislation "flawed." The measure targets Iran's ballistic missile program and support for terrorism and human rights violations, while complying with the Iran deal. It also imposes sanctions on any foreign person or entity that does business with any entity the administration has already designated as having a connection to Iran's ballistic missile program.