SouthernWorldwide.com – President Donald Trump forcefully rejected comparisons between a newly announced Iran agreement and former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal. Trump argued that the Obama-era pact, if not terminated by him, could have led to the “termination” of Israel and much of the Middle East.
Trump described the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a “short-term lease” that had already expired. He stated that if he had allowed it to run its course, Israel and many other nations in the Middle East would no longer exist.
The former president asserted that he completed the task of ending the Obama nuclear deal, an effort that he claims Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu had previously attempted unsuccessfully.
Trump recounted that Netanyahu had approached the U.S. Congress to plead against the deal, highlighting its detrimental nature to Israel. He then stepped in to terminate the agreement, which he noted had very little time remaining.
He further recalled Netanyahu’s pleas to then-President Barack Obama not to proceed with the JCPOA, warning of its potential to be the end of Israel. Trump emphasized that Obama did not heed these warnings.
The President contended that the new agreement is fundamentally different from the JCPOA. He explained that the new pact is designed to permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, as opposed to temporarily limiting its nuclear activities before restrictions expire.
Trump characterized the JCPOA as a “catastrophe” and one of the worst deals ever made. He stated that Obama’s actions in that deal were dangerous, giving Iran everything it wanted, including substantial financial resources that the U.S. would not provide.
The recently announced memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran has drawn parallels to the JCPOA. Both agreements offer Iran the prospect of sanctions relief and increased foreign investment in exchange for compliance with their respective terms.
Former President Obama had previously commented that any new agreement with Iran would likely bear significant resemblance to the 2015 JCPOA.
The success of any new agreement hinges on Iran’s ability to demonstrate that it has abandoned its nuclear ambitions and its support for terrorist organizations. This verification process is expected to occur during a 60-day negotiating period.
