by WorldTribune Staff, April 20, 2017
“Buying off” Iran with a flawed nuclear deal was not “a prudent way” to be deal with the Islamic Republic, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.
The deal pushed by former President Barack Obama “fails to achieve the objective of a non-nuclear Iran,” and only delays it becoming a nuclear state, Tillerson said on April 19 at a State Department press briefing.
Tillerson said the Trump administration is conducting a “comprehensive review” of the agreement.
“Iran spends its treasure and time disrupting peace,” Tillerson said. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions are a grave risk to international peace and security.”
The secretary of state did not say whether the administration would uphold or scrap the deal, but said it would meet the challenge of Iran with “clarity and conviction” once the review is done.
“The Trump administration has no intention of passing the buck to a future administration on Iran,” he said, according to Fox News, adding the deal represents the “failed approach” of the past.
The briefing came hours after Tillerson sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan in which he wrote that the Trump administration had certified that Iran is in compliance with the deal it signed with world powers.
A senior adviser said last month that the U.S. will continue to adhere to the deal and “will also work very hard to make sure that Iran does.”