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Iran and North Korea: Marriage of Convenience
The Trump administration has cited North Korea’s attainment of nuclear weapons and increasingly advanced missiles as a key reason for reexamining the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. “What we're saying now with Iran is don't let it become the next North Korea,” U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said on…
Rouhani: Iran Will Keep Producing Missiles
On October 29, President Hassan Rouhani pledged to continue producing missiles and any kind of weapon Iran needs to defend itself. In a televised address from Parliament, he emphasized that Iran’s missile program “does not contradict any international laws,” including U.N. Security Council…
Iranian Leaders on Kurdish Referendum
On September 25, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq held a referendum on independence. Nearly 93 percent of 4.5 million voters supported turning the KRG and some disputed areas into an independent state. Iranian leaders were largely critical of the KRG’s decision to hold the vote, saying…
Trump Speech on Iran: Khamenei Responds
On October 18, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned President Trump’s policy towards Iran and the nuclear deal as “nonsense.” But he emphasized that Iran will not be the first one to tear up the agreement. Khamenei also expressed frustration with European powers. He urged them to oppose…
Trump Speech on Iran: US Officials Defend Policy
Updated: October 23, 2017
U.S. officials have defended President Trump’s new Iran policy since his October 13 speech, in which he decertified Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal. The following are excerpted remarks.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
QUESTION: You said recently that Iran is in technical compliance…
Trump Speech on Iran: Tehran Reacts
Updated: October 18, 2017
Iranian officials have reacted angrily to President Trump’s speech on the nuclear deal. The following are excerpted remarks by top leaders.
President Hassan Rouhani
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Hello and good night to the great, understanding Iranian nation. I…
Former US Officials on Trump's Iran Strategy
On October 13, former U.S. officials involved with negotiations, development and implementation of the Iran nuclear deal held a press call to discuss President Trump’s impending decision to decertify the agreement. The officials included Wendy Sherman, former Undersecretary of State for Political…
Trump Speech on Iran: World Reacts
Updated: October 19, 2017
In response to President Trump’s speech on October 13, the other signatories to the nuclear deal made the following statements.
Declaration by the Heads of State and Government of France, Germany and the United Kingdom
We, the Leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom take note of…
Trump Speech on Iran: The Speech
Updated: December 12, 2017
On October 13, President Donald Trump outlined a new strategy on Iran following a months-long interagency review. The following is a transcript of his remarks.
Thank you very much. My fellow Americans: As President of the United States, my highest obligation is to ensure the safety and security…
US Treasury Sanctions Revolutionary Guards
On October 13, President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Treasury to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for its role in supporting terror as well as Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. "It has hijacked large portions of Iran's economy and seized massive religious…
Trump Speech on Iran: Congress Reacts
Updated: December 12, 2017
On October 13, President Donald Trump announced that he would not recertify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal. Members of Congress weighed in during the runup to and after President Trump’s speech. Congress will have 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran, which would be a…
Fact Sheet: Trump’s New Strategy on Iran
On October 13, the White House released a fact sheet on President Donald Trump’s new strategy on Iran. It seeks to neutralize the Islamic Republic’s “destabilizing influence” and to constrain its support for terrorism. The strategy highlights the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s…
Poll: Majority of Americans Support Iran Deal
The majority of Americans think the United States should participate in an agreement with Iran that lifts some sanctions in exchange for strict limits on its nuclear program, according to a new survey from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Notably, public opinion has remained consistent from…
US Defense, Intelligence Officials on Nuclear Deal
Updated: October 4, 2017
On October 3, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that it was in the U.S. national interest to continue to honor the nuclear deal if Iran is meeting its obligations. “I believe at this point in time, absent indications to the contrary, it is something the President should consider staying with,” he…
General Dunford on Challenge of Iran
On September 26, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. (United States Marine Corps), appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss his reappointment to the grade of general and reappointment to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. When asked about the nature of the threat posed by…
Future of Nuclear Deal: What the World Says
Updated: October 11, 2017
President Donald Trump has suggested that he would prefer to withdraw from or renegotiate the nuclear deal with Iran. Officials from the other world powers that negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, however, have warned the United States against withdrawing from the deal. The following…
Iran Reacts to New US Travel Ban
On September 24, President Donald Trump announced new travel restrictions on certain foreigners from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. The move replaced key parts of a controversial travel ban signed earlier in 2017.
Trump has argued that that security…
Iran Reacts to Trump Speech
Iranian officials reacted angrily to President Donald Trump’s address to the U.N. General Assembly. On September 19, he referred to the Islamic Republic as a “murderous regime” and a “corrupt dictatorship” posing as a democracy. The following are reactions from Iran.
President Hassan Rouhani
“…
First Encounter: Tillerson Meets Zarif
On September 20, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met for the first time. E.U. foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini chaired a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (…
Rouhani Press Conference in New York
On September 20, President Rouhani gave wide-ranging comments on the nuclear deal and regional conflicts. In a press conference following his U.N. address, the Iranian leader rejected outright any prospect of renegotiating the nuclear deal or extending its timelines. “There will be absolutely no…
Rouhani Chastises Trump in UN Speech
In his U.N. speech on September 20, President Hassan Rouhani criticized President Trump for both the substance and tenor of his debut address to the world body. On the previous day, Trump referred to Iran as a “murderous regime” and a “corrupt dictatorship” posing as a democracy. In his speech,…
Trump Blasts Iran at UN
On September 19, President Donald Trump called on the world to join the United States “in demanding that Iran’s government end its pursuit of death and destruction.” In his address to the U.N. General Assembly, he blasted Iran for supporting terror and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad…
Future of Nuclear Deal: What Iran Says
Updated: October 13, 2017
Iranian leaders have warned the Trump administration against withdrawing from the nuclear deal and have called on Washington to fully adhere to its commitments. President Hassan Rouhani has accused the United States of being unreliable. Iran “will not remain quiet against the United States’…
Rouhani in New York on Nuclear Deal, Syria
On September 18, President Hassan Rouhani discussed the nuclear deal, regional conflicts, human rights, and other issues at an event with American foreign policy analysts and journalists. He was in New York City to attend the opening of the U.N. General Assembly. The following are excerpts as…
Debate on Nuclear Deal: In US
Updated: October 2, 2017
The following are excerpts from op-eds, memos and reports by American experts and former government officials that reflect the debate on the Iran nuclear deal as the Trump administration completes a review of its Iran policy. The administration must notify Congress every 90 days whether Iran is…
US Treasury Imposes New Iran Sanctions
On September 14, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 11 entities and individuals for supporting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps or networks responsible for cyber-attacks against the United States. “These sanctions target an Iranian company providing material support to the IRGC’s ballistic missile…
CRS Report: Options to Cease Implementing the Nuclear Deal
The following are excerpts from a Congressional Research Service report on options that the Trump Administration may use to end or alter U.S. implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.
Options to Cease Implementing the Iran Nuclear Agreement
Kenneth Katzman Specialist in Middle Eastern…
Report: Iran’s Military Sites and the Nuclear Deal
A key section of the nuclear deal bans Iran from undertaking certain nuclear weapons development activities and controlling certain equipment that could be used in such activities. But the most recent report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog “made at best a general statement” about its monitoring and…
Turkish Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Evade Iran Sanctions
The following is a September 6 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York.
Former Turkish Minister Of The Economy, Former General Manager Of Turkish Government-Owned Bank, And Two Other Individuals Charged With Conspiring To Evade U.S. Sanctions Against Iran And…
Ambassador Haley on the Nuclear Deal
On September 5, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley criticized the nuclear deal and argued that U.N. inspectors cannot know if Iran is cheating. Iranian leaders have vowed to not allow inspections of military sites. The regime has "hundreds of undeclared sites that have suspicious…