Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Saturday called on the U.S. to impose sanctions on Iran for violating the nuclear deal.
Trump started off his speech at a campaign rally in Biloxi, Miss., Saturday evening by blasting the Obama administration over the nuclear deal. “Iran has already violated the deal,” said Trump. “I mean, it is a few days already, after all. They violated one of the worst deals I’ve ever seen negotiated at any level.”
“They violated the deal. We should be putting on sanctions,” he declared.
The violation Trump referred to was Iran’s recent ballistic missile tests which are a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, but outside the scope of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, under the nuclear agreement, Iran’s non-nuclear violations of the UN’s Security Council resolutions are supposed to merit punitive action. Several top Democrats have already called on the administration to impose new sanctions on Iran since it raises serious concerns about whether Iran will adhere to its commitments under the nuclear accord.
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House has postponed a net of financial sanctions introduced recently by the US Treasury Department against Tehran in the wake of the country’s recent ballistic missile tests.
“Can you imagine that? They are embarrassed to put on the sanctions because how do you put on sanctions so soon,” Trump said. Adding, “It’s very, very sad. What’s going on with our country – the incompetence of our leadership is beyond belief, beyond belief.”
Trump went on to refer to the deal, at least, two times during his speech. “By the way, I have to be honest, we gave them so much money they don’t have to do too much research. The can buy the damn things, okay,” he said before offering a verbal and facial description of the Iran nuclear talks, mocking Sec. of State John Kerry’s negotiating skills. “I would never, ever have given them the $150 billion back. I would never have done it. And I would’ve told them up front, ‘We are not giving you the $150 billion back.’”
The Republican presidential hopeful further raised a theory that he first brought up at a campaign rally last week: “A lot of people think there is something else going on. It is almost like there has to be something else going on. The deal with Iran – there has to be something else going on. Who would make that deal?”
