On April 25, a gunman attacked the Interests Section of Iran, housed in the Pakistani embassy, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Secret Service responded to initial reports of shots fired and arrested an individual for assault. The individual had a weapon, but the Secret Service determined that shots had not been fired. Iranian state media posted a video of the arrest.
President Hassan Rouhani rejected outright any changes to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as discussed by President Donald Trump and President Emmanuel Macron during their Washington summit on April 24. “If the JCPOA was bad and dangerous, why did you [the United States] sign it? You are a businessman and don't know anything about law,” he said, referring to Trump. The United States will “pay the highest political and moral price at the international level” if it withdraws from or violates the nuclear deal, he warned on April 25, during one of three speeches in Tabriz.
On April 24, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face serious repercussions if it restarts its nuclear program. “They will have bigger problems than they have ever had before,” he said at the start of a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House.
On April 20, the U.S. State Department released its annual country reports on human rights practices. The following are excerpts from the report on Iran, which covers 2017.
On April 13, the United States, Britain and France launched strikes in response to Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons in the rebel enclave of Douma. U.S. aircraft, including B-1 bombers, and at least three warships participated in the attack on three sites related to the regime’s chemical weapons program. President Donald Trump notified the public in a televised address.
Iran has aided and abetted the Assad dynasty since the 1979 revolution. The following is a timeline of its intervention in Syria's civil war since 2011. For a separate rundown of Iran’s military involvement and Israel’s response, click here.
President Donald Trump has warned that he would withdraw from the nuclear deal if the United States and European partners cannot agree on ways to fix its alleged flaws. The administration is aiming to sign a supplemental agreement that deals with the sunset clauses and Iran’s missile program. Trump will have to decide if the United States will continue to implement the deal by May 12. If Trump does not waive sanctions then, the United States will be in violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
A bipartisan group of more than 100 national security experts, known as the National Coalition to Prevent an Iranian Nuclear Weapon, has urged President Donald Trump to maintain the U.S. commitment to the nuclear deal. “Ditching it would serve no national security purpose,” they argued in a statement.
On March 22, President Donald Trump announced that John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, will replace National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster. Bolton served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. An outspoken critic of the nuclear deal, he has advocated for regime change in Tehran and use of military force against the Islamic Republic. Bolton took office on April 9. The following are excerpted remarks by Bolton on Iran.
President Donald Trump has warned that he would withdraw from the nuclear deal if the United States and European partners cannot agree on changes to the agreement. Since he issued his ultimatum on January 12, diplomats have been working to find common ground. In early March, the State Department’s policy planning director, Brian Hook, reportedly traveled to Europe to meet with British, French and German officials.
