Tag: Nuke Deal

Withdraw For Sloppy Seconds

Well I see that a moron always a moron….our Fearless Leader has withdrawn from the deal that the US and its allies have with Iran on the nuke program.

In a move he’s been signalling for some time, President Trump on Tuesday withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, reports NBC News. “This is a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never ever been made,” said the president in a televised news conference. “It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will.” Trump, who accused Tehran of lying about its nuclear ambitions, also said the US would be reimposing the highest level of sanctions and warned other nations not to assist Iran, reports the AP. After his news conference, he signed a presidential memorandum to make the move official. The decision puts the US at odds with its European allies, which urged Trump to stick with the deal, and raises the possibility of tension with Russia and China, notes the New York Times.

“We cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement,” Trump said in his remarks, adding that the agreement was “defective at its core” and an “embarrassment to me as a citizen and all citizens of the United States.” Doing away with what was considered President Obama’s signature foreign policy achievement fulfills an oft-stated campaign pledge of Trump’s, notes the Washington Post. Trump cited documents revealed last week by Israel suggesting that Iran had a nuclear weapons program in the 1990s, something it has repeatedly denied, and lied about that fact during negotiations for the 2015 accord. “At the heart of the Iran deal was a giant fiction,” Trump asserted.

This surprised no one.  He does what Israel tells him to do.  After all this bone head decision benefits NO one but Israel.

Can it be saved by others?

https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iran/saving-iran-nuclear-deal-without-us

Europe should make a separate deal with Iran so if the dick tips in this country want a war with Iran then they will be warring on our allies as well…..I do not think this will stop the war mongers that want a war with Iran in the least.  Would this be possible?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced Monday that Iran has prepared for “all scenarios” and will remain “committed” to the nuclear deal no matter what the US does. He says if the US does withdraw, Iran will seek guarantees from non-American signatories. In particular he has sought assurances from the three EU member nations that signed, Britain, France, and Germany, that they will continue to abide by the deal.

Germany and France have both issued statements Monday confirming that they support the deal, and intend to stand by it whether or not the US remains involved. The German and French Foreign Ministers gave a joint news conference on the matter, with German FM Heiko Maas saying there wasn’t any “justifiable reason” to withdraw. The officials say they’re still trying to convince President Trump to respect the deal.

(antiwar.com)

Reactions……

President Trump formally withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord Tuesday—now what? Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech broadcast live on state TV within minutes of Trump’s announcement in which he warned the country could restart enriching uranium “without any limitations” within weeks, the AP reports, though he added that the Iranian foreign minister will visit the countries still in the deal—China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK—to see if the pact can be salvaged. More on the fallout and potential ramifications of the US pulling out:

  • The Washington Post lays out “5 big consequences” of Trump’s decision while Rolling Stone looks at the “3 biggest consequences.” Both articles point out the possibility that Trump’s decision could alienate US allies.
  • What impact will the decision have on a potential US-North Korea nuclear deal? USA Today digs in.
  • One company that will be impacted by the US withdrawal? Boeing, which stands to lose $20 billion in deals with Iranian airlines. CNBC and CNNMoney look at how Boeing will handle that.
  • The Iran deal was then-President Obama’s signature foreign policy achievement; Obama responded to Trump’s withdrawal Tuesday by calling the decision “misguided.” CNN has his full statement.
  • The AP has reactions from many more, including the Syrian government and congressional leaders.
  • Business Insider reports that even some of the deal’s biggest critics are uncertain Trump made the correct choice.
  • But over at Vox, one of those critics gives an in-depth explanation of why this was the right thing to do, and the “two positive directions” Trump appears to be heading in.
  • The New York Times offers an extensive look at the deal and Trump’s decision, which it calls a “risky bet” that the US can “break the regime” in Iran through economic sanctions.
  • For more on what happens next, Axios has a primer running down Iran’s options, Europe’s options, and the longer-term effects.

This idiot decision has our gas prices are already on the rise…….to bad will it get?…..

Oil prices just busted through the $70 mark as the world awaits President Trump’s decision on Iranian sanctions. The price of benchmark US crude rose 74 cents to $70.46 a barrel, the first time since 2014 the cost has exceeded $70, reports the AP. The development, which is expected to result in higher gas prices, comes as analysts await Trump’s May 12 decision on whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal he sees as a failure, reports Reuters. If the US withdraws from the deal, analysts expect Iranian oil exports to fall. Also hitting oil prices was a worsening economic crisis in Venezuela.

I cannot -wait to see just where this decision hurts the US the most.

The Iranian Nuke Deal Update

In this case it will be because of the Iranian nuke deal that the war mongers want the US to bow out.  His so-called national security team is manned with war mongers and as the deal comes up for renewal that prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough is not happening…..

The new SecState has gone on record saying that the US is “unlikely to stay in the deal”……

Speaking to reporters during his first overseas trip since confirmation, new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he believes it is very “unlikely” that President Trump will keep the United States in the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran past May 12.

Trump’s opposition to the nuclear deal centers on three issues. He wants limits on Iran’s civilian nuclear program to not sunset in the future. He also wants the IAEA to access non-nuclear military sites, which the IAEA has not sought to access at all. Finally, he wants the nuclear deal to “address Iran’s other activities,” like having conventional missiles.

(antiwar.com)

I have several opinions on what to do about the deal from a couple think tanks (not that I agree….just FYI)……

In the coming weeks, the Trump Administration will decide whether the United States will remain in or leave the Iran nuclear agreement. The agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is undoubtedly deeply flawed. Its sunset clause will permit Iran to enrich weapons-grade uranium in about a decade. It fails to address the ballistic missile issue, there are no “anytime, anywhere” inspections as the Obama Administration originally promised, and it has provided Tehran with billions of dollars in unfrozen assets and sanctions relief, which has helped finance its destabilizing activities in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with threatening to walk away from such a deeply flawed agreement. In fact, a credible threat to withdraw is what is needed to improve it. However, leaving the agreement would be not only illogical but potentially dangerous.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2018/04/27/the_iran_deal_if_you_cant_fix_it_dont_nix_it_113383.html

Then there is the US SecDef who seems the believe that the US should stay in the nuke deal…..

Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary James Mattis praised the P5+1 nuclear deal. These comments come just weeks ahead of President Trump’s May 12 ultimatum to withdraw from the deal if changes aren’t agreed to.

Mattis told the senators that the verification system is “robust,” and that gives the IAEA “intrusive ability” to check on Iran’s compliance. He in particularly praised what he believes was a deal “written almost with an assumption that Iran would try to cheat.”

Trump and his cabinet are believed to differ on the merits of the P5+1 deal, with Trump opposing the deal and most believing it is too valuable to lose. Mattis’ comments clearly put him in the pro-deal camp, as his praise for the verification in the deal comes as oversight remains one of Trump’s main complaints. Trump has demanded the IAEA be given access to non-nuclear sites that the IAEA itself insists it doesn’t want to visit at all.

(antiwar.com)

So far I have two takeaways……one–there is no consensus on the deal….the deal may hang on the last voice Trump hears before the deadline and two–if Mattis does not concur with Trump he may be looking at the door soon.

One last thought……

The discussions at the White House with French president Emmanuel Macron about devising, in Macron’s words, a “new deal with Iran” may be an instance of different governments using similar words to mean very different things. In that regard, it may be akin to how “denuclearization” means different things in the Korean context depending on which government uses the term. Although Macron can be criticized for some aspects of how he has handled the task he has taken on, especially with respect to the effect of his moves on Iranian perceptions and intentions, give him credit for taking on the task at all. To try to preserve an agreement that serves the interests of France, the United States, and the cause of nuclear nonproliferation, Macron has had to propitiate a bully—one who in front of the press in the Oval Office even added the bullying touch of flicking alleged dandruff off Macron’s suit coat.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/paul-pillar/new-deals-old-deals-non-deals-iran-25581

This policy will be a policy to watch…..chest thumping aside….the theatrics will be amazing.

The Iranian Nuke Deal

Now that Trump has nominated a new SecState, John Bolton, the nuke deal that was negotiated by Obama and the P5+1 keeps making the news because the new SecState hates the deal and will work to eliminate it completely.

Let’s look at the nuke deal since Trump has come to be president…….

It looks like the Iran nuclear deal will not survive past May 12. That is the next occasion President Donald Trump will have to end waivers on crippling sanctions against Iran, withdrawing America from the agreement. Unless European allies commit to fixing its main flaws — the sunset provisions, lack of restrictions on Iran’s missile tests and the hampered inspection process — Trump will withdraw.

The president is already setting the stage. He replaced Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the most vocal proponent of the deal, with one of its toughest critics, former CIA director Mike Pompeo. Then there is the new national security adviser, John Bolton, who six months ago drafted strategy for getting the U.S. out of the agreement altogether.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-03-28/trump-and-the-iran-deal-the-u-s-strategy-is-working

Trump has never thought the Iranian deal was a good idea and he is surrounding himself with like minded people…..and in doing so makes it appear as if it is only a matter of time before we pull out of the deal……and when we do pull out what can we expect?

Now that the president of the United States has named John Bolton as his new national security advisor and nominated Mike Pompeo to be the next Secretary of State, we enter the “be careful what you wish for” stage of US-Middle East politics.

These appointments mean that it is virtually certain that sometime in the middle of May, the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. The president has said he was inclined to do this to many including recent visitors from the region. Washington observers like Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Bob Corker have predicted it. Mr Bolton has frequently called for it.

Expect it to happen. The big question becomes: then what?

https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/when-the-us-withdraws-from-the-iran-nuclear-deal-expect-three-stark-consequences-1.716152

Nothing about the elimination of this deal makes it a good thing for the US or the world…..it is only a matter of time before all this becomes a simmering problem with only one solution.

Let’s Talk Iran

This is a lot to take in but with Trump at the helm we could be looking at a conflict with Iran…..some we do not need.  It is important that the American understand what is at stake and be prepared for more US troops deployed to fight more useless fights.

WE know that Trump does not like the Iran deal and has not re-certified the deal…..and yet…..

Visiting the Iranian capital city of Tehran on Sunday, IAEA chief Amano Yukiya publicly reiterated that Iran is in all ways living up to its nuclear-related commitments under the P5|+1 nuclear deal.

While the comments were made addressing reporters, Amano’s comments were seen as a message to President Trump, who has been falsely accusing Iran of violating the deal, and has set up an effort for Congress to withdraw the US from the pact.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had specifically asked the visiting Amano to reiterate the IAEA’s position on the matter. Iran has been trying to ensure the P5+1 deal stays intact, with or without American involvement.

Amano has expressed annoyance at comments from the Trump Administration in the past, which are often directly contradictory to the facts of the deal, and he has felt the need to publicly correct the facts and defend the deal

(antwar.com)

Iran has complied with the terms of the agreement then why has Trump a problem?  Wonder how much Israel had to pay for Trump’s decision?

Well Trump has a plan (he always has a loser of a plan)…….

* The United States new Iran strategy focuses on neutralizing the Government of Irans destabilizing influence and constraining its aggression, particularly its support for terrorism and militants.
* We will revitalize our traditional alliances and regional partnerships as bulwarks against Iranian subversion and restore a more stable balance of power in the region.
* We will work to deny the Iranian regime and especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) funding for its malign activities, and oppose IRGC activities that extort the wealth of the Iranian people.
* We will counter threats to the United States and our allies from ballistic missiles and other asymmetric weapons.
* We will rally the international community to condemn the IRGCs gross violations of human rights and its unjust detention of American citizens and other foreigners on specious charges.
* Most importantly, we will deny the Iranian regime all paths to a nuclear weapon.

Source: Subject: EMBARGOED President Donald J. Trump’s New Strategy on Iran

His new plan is a non-starter and he is pushing the aggression button too often.

The decision by President Trump to decertify the Iran deal and impose sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps marks the public debut of a campaign that’s been underway since the spring, when Trump ordered his national security team to find ways to “roll back” Iranian influence.

As we’re likely to see over the coming year, Iran has cultivated its own options to throw nails and bomblets in the path of any presumptive American juggernaut. It might be possible to roll back Iran’s reach in the Middle East, but not without painful costs, which can be visited on a web of American targets and allies located throughout Iran’s sphere of influence.

According to Middle East experts who have consulted privately for the administration on Iran policy, the president asked for ways to raise the price for Iran of its expansionist policy in the region — without exposing America to direct new threats. That might not be possible.

What about a conflict with Iran….how would we fair?  Worse than you think….

Is war with Iran inevitable? Camped out here in Washington just two blocks from the White House, I can tell you one thing: it seems possible.

The chatter between talking heads, foreign policy professionals, and members of the press feels very much like the run-up to war with Iraq back in 2002. And we all know that turned out oh-so-well.

That’s why I’m scared to death.

Source: I Fought a War Against Iran—and It Ended Badly | The American Conservative

Let’s say push came to shove….could the US handle a conflict with Iran on its own?  Some say no.

Dealing with an ambitious and powerful Iran entails a broad range of open-ended challenges that define the ever-turbulent Middle East. Without the 2015 nuclear deal, however, those challenges are likely to become even more daunting.

NEW YORK – US President Donald Trump has announced what was long anticipated: that he will not certify that Iran is complying with the July 2015 “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JCPOA) signed by the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Iran. Nor will he certify that the suspension of sanctions undertaken by the US as part of the agreement is justified and in the vital national interest of the US.

Source: The US Cannot Go It Alone On Iran by Richard N. Haass – Project Syndicate

This so-called president is already pushing the war button too often aimed at North Korea….can we afford a second front against Iran?

Iran is taking Trump and his Boyz seriously…….

Iran’s official IRNA news agency says the Iranian air force is holding its annual military exercise to show off its ability to safeguard the country’s airspace.

The drill is taking place near the central city of Isfahan, a region that is home to the country’s key nuclear facilities, including the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. Isfahan also has an air base that played a major role during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

The military spokesman for the two-day drill, Gen. Masoud Rouzkhosh, says it aims to improve and update capabilities of the air force, as well as display Iran’s military power.

He says fighter jets, bombers and drones will be tested during the drill near Isfahan, about some 400 kilometers, or 250 miles, south of the capital, Tehran.

Thia situation could very well get out of hand quickly………

Someone needs to speak up….Congress needs to stop playing partisan games and get a grip on this president.  We cannot afford more war and especially on two major fronts.

Just how sick is our fearless leader?

Iran: A Big Ass Can Of Worms?

Everyone is watching the drama with the US and North Korea play out….so far there has been little more than words fired at each other.  Almost daily there is an exchange of words…well threats, veiled threats…….and daily the speculation ramps up to a feverish pitch.

But behind the headlines and the scenes another nuke crisis is brewing…..the world is the the deal between the P5+1 and Iran on their nuke programs is in jeopardy….the rhetoric is not as loud between these player than the US and NK…..but the simmer pot is getting hotter everyday.

Word is the Trump is prepared to not re-certify the deal….even though all conditions seem to be met at this point.  The news is not good and Iran has jumped onto the rhetoric bandwagon….

The news that had come out the the US will not re-certify the deal and possibly extend more sanctions on Iran….that news has the Iranians thumping their chests as well….

Iran warned the United States against designating its Revolutionary Guards Corp as a terrorist group and said U.S. regional military bases would be at risk if further sanctions were passed.

The warning came after the White House said on Friday that President Donald Trump would announce new U.S. responses to Iran’s missile tests, support for “terrorism” and cyber operations as part of his new Iran strategy.

“As we’ve announced in the past, if America’s new law for sanctions is passed, this country will have to move their regional bases outside the 2,000 km range of Iran’s missiles,” Guards’ commander Mohammad Ali Jafari said, according to state media.

Source: Iran warns U.S. against imposing further sanctions

Before you take sides maybe you should learn a bit about the deal….

US President Donald Trump is expected to refuse to certify Iran’s compliance with the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, an agreement between world powers and Tehran aimed at limiting the latter’s nuclear programme to non-military purposes.

The move comes despite thinly-veiled criticisms from US allies in Europe who have developed burgeoning commercial and political ties with Iran

Source: Trump and the Iran deal: What you need to know | Iran News | Al Jazeera

I have stated many times that I support the Iranian deal….if a person would familiarize oneself with the deal then I think any rational American would support it also.

If for NO other reason than the problem with North Korea and its nuke resources could be doubled if the US pulls out of the Iran deal……how much further can this go before someone has the bright idea to stop talking and that the time for action is NOW?

What Is He Thinking?

Nate has left town!  Like all good windbags he is headed toward DC……now onto the news of the new week…..

To answer the question……He is not!

This week will tell the tale….will our president be so stupid as to “decertify” the Iranian nuke deal?

Word is President Trump will “decertify” the Iran nuclear deal next week, giving Congress 60 days to decide whether to stay in the agreement or void it by imposing new sanctions on Iran. Citing “people briefed” on the matter, the Washington Post reports Trump is expected to deliver a speech, possibly on Oct. 12, laying out his administration’s new Iranian policy. CNN, whose sources include “two senior US officials,” reports that policy would be to work within the framework of the nuclear deal, which limits Iran’s nuclear activities, while attempting to strengthen it for the US. But Iran has said it’s not interested in renegotiating the deal, and European leaders say they don’t want to change the terms of the deal.

Germany, France, Britain, Russia, China, Iran, and even the US all agree Iran has held up its side of the nuclear deal. And on Tuesday Defense Secretary James Mattis said he believes it’s “in our national security interest” to remain in the deal. But Trump campaigned on the nuclear deal being unfair to the US. The president is said to be weary of a tenet of the deal wherein he must go to Congress every 90 days to report whether Iran is complying with it and if it remains in the national interest of the US.

I think that this will be a bonehead move……first, I would bet that he has NO idea what is said in the deal….but yet he is trapp[ed by his political rhetoric during the campaign and now if he wants to retain his base support he feels he must do something.

Let me help you understand the deal and then you will be one ahead of the guy called “president”….plus it is not that difficult…..Negotiators reached a historic accord last summer to limit Tehran’s nuclear ability in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions. Here is a guide to the Iran nuclear deal.

I told you it was not that difficult.

People everywhere are masking the case for the Iranian nuke deal……

Wake up. We are sleepwalking into an armed conflict. The hidden scandal of the Iraq War — the manipulation of intelligence to support a predetermined outcome — is now an overt political strategy to undermine a multilateral nonproliferation agreement. At a time when Iran was hurtling toward a nuclear threshold not easily undone by force or persuasion, the United States struck an accord with allies and adversaries alike that averted the solution everyone feared most — the kinetic option.

Now, those most vocal prior to the deal about the imminent threat of a nuclear Iran want to scrap the deal, put the world back on the brink of conflict, and open up a second nuclear front.

Source: Countdown to zero: The case for the Iran deal | TheHill

There is so much wrong with this idea of not certifying the deal and yet with all data available they are still playing a dangerous game……why?

Source: We Don’t Need No Stinking Deal! – In Saner Thought

The US has a major problem with the situation in North Korea….the nukes, the missiles, and the rhetoric…..and then Trump pulls out of this deal with Iran then he as doubled the nuke problem overnight

Trump is choosing a multi-front nuclear stand-off……he could be choosing a war over something as stupid as his political rhetoric.

To add fuel to the fire….trump offers up some cryptic statement at a dinner for military leaders…..

President Trump made an ominous remark after meeting with his top military commanders—and declined to explain what he was talking about. “You guys know what this represents?” Trump told reporters as he posed for a photo with First Lady Melania Trump, military officials, and their spouses before a White House dinner Thursday night. “Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.” When asked to clarify the remark, Trump said “we have the world’s great military people” present, CBS reports. Asked again what the “storm” might be, Trump said: “You’ll find out” and ended the questioning.

Trump may have been talking about Iran: Earlier Thursday, sources said Trump plans to “decertify” Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal, which is due for recertification by Oct. 15. “The Iranian regime supports terrorism and exports violence and chaos across the Middle East,” Trump said at the meeting with military leaders, per the Guardian. “That is why we must put an end to Iran’s continued aggression and nuclear ambitions.” There has also been speculation that Trump was referring to action against ISIS or North Korea, reports the BBC.

Great timing!  The weekend was spent in wild speculation by the MSM….something the media excels at….wild speculation.

But with this guy named Trump….we will not know for sure what what will come out of his mouth until it comes out of his mouth.

Turn The Page!

We Don’t Need No Stinking Deal!

Obama and his partners in the P5+1 work hard and finally a deal was reached between Iran and the rest of the world on their pursuit of nukes.

A perfect deal?  Of course not!  No deal is perfect but as long as it holds up and the all players are satisfied then it is a success.  I know most everyone has an opinion on the Iran thing….those same people have strong opinion of the North Korean situation……but has anyone thought about them as a common problem?

During thew Obama admin it was certified that Iran was holding to the terms and it has been re-certified.  Same since Trump took over the throne of power….the only person in the Trump camp that does not like the deal is Trump himself and is said to be looking for ways to pull out before all is accomplished.

Let us move on (for the moment)….the other problem (nuke) is the mash-up with North Korea in its pursuit of nuke weapons and a delivery system.

The war of words is approaching a point of no-return, in my opinion…..Trumps chest thumping on NK remands of the same type of show that Israel has put on about Iran and its pursuit of a nuke future.

The US State Department has said that there are some backroom negotiations with NK to try and walk back this rush to open conflict.  But the president does not want a peaceful settlement of the animosities with NK…..

After lamenting the “almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico” and blasting “politically motivated ingrates” there Sunday morning, President Trump moved onto a new topic on Twitter: North Korea and its nuclear weapons program. The Guardian reports that barely 24 hours had passed since Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to assuage Americans by calling for calm and noting our “lines of communication” with Pyongyang, when Trump decided to put in his two cents on Tillerson’s efforts. “I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” he tweeted midmorning, using a recent nickname he’d coined for Kim Jong Un.

He followed that up with: “Save your energy Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!” Later Sunday afternoon, Trump returned after a several-hour Twitter hiatus to add some more thoughts on the matter, tweeting, “Being nice to Rocket Man hasn’t worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won’t fail.” During a press conference in Beijing Saturday, Tillerson had deemed Trump’s rhetoric on the situation “overheated.” It’s not clear what Trump’s “what has to be done” entails.

This is NOT the way to handle a touchy situation that become a no-return scenario…..Appearance are the Trump wants more war….that he will not consider a peaceful resolution to this situation.

I bring all this up because of a simple problem that they do not seem to grasp.  (This is where I tie the two situation together)

Trump in his haste to pacify neocons and Israel on the Iran deal could be created a similar problem that he is now having with NK….he could be turning one nuke crisis into two…..

During his first address to the United Nations General Assembly this month, US President Donald Trump took the opportunity to lash out at two countries in particular.

He described North Korea – or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as Pyongyang calls itself – as a “depraved” regime with a “twisted” mentality that consists of a “band of criminals” equipped with “nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles”. Trump then threatened to “totally destroy” the country if the US was forced into a corner.

In similar vein, he labelled Iran a “corrupt dictatorship” and pronounced the Iran nuclear deal – known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and concluded between Tehran and world powers in July 2015 – as “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into”.

Obviously, for the US administration, there is a close link between these two challenges – will the North Korean nuclear crisis have serious policy implications for Washington’s attitude towards JCPOA?

Source: Trump logic: Turn one nuclear crisis into two by killing the Iran deal | Middle East Eye

Time for some SANITY!  (if that is possible….and as it looks today….NOT LIKELY!)

Iran Awaits!

Trump has made his speech to the UNGA….he pretty much threatened the world that is not siding with the US….North Korea took a hit…..terrorists took a hit….and then there was Iran.

He made it clear that he does not like the nuke deal that the US has with Iran……and he made sure to stress that he would be making a decision on this situation….and soon.

I wrote about the deal and how Iran was complying with the guidelines awhile back…..July 2017 to be exact.

Source: Dammit! Iran! – In Saner Thought

But in case that post is not enough for some…..there has been a reaffirmation that Iran is complying completely to the nuke deal……

Amid expectations that President Trump is going to decertify the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, refusing the admit to Congress that Iran is complying, US Strategic Command chief Gen. John Hyten has affirmed that Iran is fully complying with the terms of the deal.

Gen. Hyten was speaking about the deal at an event for the Hudson Institute, saying Iran’s compliance was not a questionable fact, and insisting that US “concerns” regarding Iran are separate from the nuclear deal.

Hyten said the US and its allies had concerns about Iran developing and testing conventional ballistic missiles. Admitting that this is not a violation of the nuclear deal is significant, as Trump Administration officials have often linked the two issues.

(antiwar.com)

Late yesterday Trump announced that he had finally made his decision on Iran…..

A day after calling the Iran nuclear deal an “embarrassment” and “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions” in US history, President Trump says he’s made a decision on the future of the deal. But he wouldn’t say what that decision is, ABC News reports. “I have decided,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I’ll let you know what the decision is.” The Iran nuclear deal was done under President Obama and allows Iran to have limited nuclear development in exchange for easing of sanctions on the country. Gen. John Hyten, the top general in US Strategic Command, says Iran is upholding its part of the bargain. “The facts are that Iran is operating under the agreements the we signed up for,” the Hill quotes Hyten as saying Wednesday.

In his own speech to the UN on Wednesday, Hassan Rouhani called Trump’s Tuesday speech to the international body—in which the American president labeled Iran a “murderous regime”—”ignorant, absurd, and hateful,” the Washington Post reports. The Iranian president didn’t mention Trump by name, instead referring to him as a “rogue newcomer to the world of politics.” Rouhani said Iran is seeking peace and won’t be the first to leave the nuclear deal. He later told reporters Iran doesn’t expect the US to back out of the deal either, according to Reuters. “We don’t think Trump will walk out of the deal despite (his) rhetoric and propaganda,” Rouhani said.

It will be of interest to me to hear what his decision is……hopefully there is a real decision and not some ply to change the tone of the coverage….a misdirection.

Decertify?  Seriously?

Does he seriously believe that punishing Iran for complying to the treaty is somehow a good move?

Trump already has a major nuke problem with North Korea……does he propose making it compounded into two major problems?

Will He Break The Deal?

The he is Trump and the deal is the one that we have in place with Iran.

All the news is the Iran is holding good with the deal….but Trump and those hidden neocons are saying they want him to null and void the treaty and start the mash up to “bomb, bomb, Iran”…..

But now word is leaking out that Trump may be telling the neocons to “talk to the hand”…..

There seem to be those that want to extend sanctions….would someone remind them that sanctions will not solve a problem….only diplomacy can do that.

AS long as they are holding up their end of the deal….then I say do not screw with the deal.  But ass usual their will be BiBi there poking them with a stick trying to get a reaction.  Then there is Trump…..we have no idea what will be said or done from day to day…

The “Art Of The Deal”

There has not been much said these days in the news about Iran or the deal that the two signed…..we have heard all the stuff about China, North Korea……but believe it or not the deal that the US and Iran signed a year ago is still in effect.

AS a matter of fact the deal is working out well….at least according to the IAEA……

In their latest monthly statement on the P5+1 nuclear deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again confirmed that Iran is in total compliance with the deal, and that its low-enriched uranium stockpile is well within limits.

This is the statement they’ve issued every time since the deal was implemented, but comes at an increasingly important time, as President Trump has repeatedly claimed he considers Iran to be in violation is some non-specific way.

It also comes amid calls from US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley for the IAEA to inspect all of Iran’s conventional military facilities, to try to look for some violations. The IAEA, however, has insisted that there is no need for this.

The IAEA has affirmed that it has the right to demand access to military sites, but only in the case that there is reasonable suspicion of activity there. Since there is no such suspicion, there will be no inspections.

(antiwar.com)

With things going well…..yo would think that all is good and the deal is solid…..but you forget you live in a country commanded by Trump…..he is planning to kill this deal at any cost……

With Donald Trump threatening to invade Venezuela and start a nuclear war with North Korea, his stated intention to refuse certifying Iranian compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)  –  the nuclear deal between America, Iran, Europe, Russia, and China  –  has fallen from the headlines. However, the gravity of how he appears to be moving toward that end could spark a policy crisis. To hear his allies outside of government tell it, Trump’s plan to kill the Iran deal is the same one he uses to produce Trump suits and neckties: Outsourcing. Two key points highlight this scheme.

First, Trump’s failure to certify Iran’s compliance would give the Republican-led Congress ultimate decision-making powers over whether to stick to the nuclear deal. The reason for this is evident in the underlying statute  – the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA).  Under INARA, the President is required to provide a “compliance certification” to Congress every 90 days, which verifies Iranian adherence with its JCPOA commitments.

Source: Trump’s Plan To Kill The Iran Deal? Outsourcing | HuffPost

If Iran is living to the issues of the deal why would it need to die?  Better yet…..who will make the most money if the deal dies?

If successful then this situation will not bode well for the US.