Obama foreign policy adviser and speechwriter Ben Rhodes on the implications of possible "Iran Deal" exit by the United States.
By RFE/RL
The White House statement issued ahead of the address set out elements of a strategy designed to neutralize the Iranian government's "destabilizing influence," constrain "its aggression, particularly its support for terrorism and militants," and prevent it from acquiring neclear weapons.
It said the Trump administration will work to deny Iran -- particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- the funds it needs to conduct "malign activities" and to oppose IRGC activities that "extort the wealth of the Iranian people."
The statement did not say whether it would declare the IRGC a terrorist organization, something the Iranian government has warned the Trump administration not to do or to face a "proportionate response."
The Trump administration said it will also "rally the international community" to condemn the IRGC's "gross violation of human rights and its unjust detention" of U.S. citizens and other foreigners on what it called "specious charges."
The statement added that most importantly, it will "deny the Iranian regime all paths to a nuclear weapon."
Trump is expected to speak at 12:45 p.m. Washington time (6:45 p.m. Prague time) on October 13.
President Donald Trump will announce his position shortly regarding the Iran nuclear deal and will unveil what is expected to be a tougher U.S. policy toward The Islamic Republic of Iran.
It is widely expected that he will “decertify” the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPO, as the Iran deal is known, but stop short of scrapping the agreement. That means Congress should decide within sixty days whether to impose new sanctions on Iran or let ambiguity stand for now.
It is also believed that if Congress imposes new harsh sanctions, it could basically mean the end of the agreement. Radio Farda will live-stream president Trump’s remarks and its aftermath in this live blog, with reactions from Iran and around the world.