Will President Trump Scrap The Iran Deal Today?

President Trump tweeted at 11:44 PM on Monday night that he would announce his decision on the Iran deal at 2:00 PM on Tuesday making it impossible for major newspapers across Iran to publish the announcement on their front pages.

I will be announcing my decision on the Iran Deal tomorrow from the White House at 2:00pm.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018

Iran’s state-run television and the IRNA news agency carried the announcement at 10:00 AM Tehran time.

His announcement comes just days before the May 12 deadline, at which point he must formally decide whether to renew current waivers of sanctions imposed against Iran.

President Trump spent two years declaring the Iran Deal (JCPOA) was a “bad deal” that “should never, ever have been made.” The major flaws of the deal are it does not cover Iran’s ballistic missile program, it has no provisions to curb its influence in ongoing regional conflicts and the “sunset clauses” mean there is no permanent block on Iran developing nuclear weapons.

The President has asked America’s European allies to take a tougher stance on ensuring international inspectors have access to Iran’s military sites, enacting greater restrictions on their ballistic missile program and providing for a clawback of the sunset clauses.

Since his inauguration, President Trump has signed waivers every four months. He can increase the pressure on Iran by not signing the waiver and by reimposing the sanctions which target Iran’s Central Bank and hampers international oil deals.  By doing so, this will give the Trump Administration and the other signatories of the Iran Deal five more months to search for a better deal.

Leaving the mullahs hanging over the deal’s future would further damage the faltering Iranian economy which is already in shambles.

And from the parody Twitter account of @SecofState70:

At this point the only thing that's going to outlive the Iran deal is John McCain.

— Mike Pampeo (@SecOfState70) May 7, 2018