From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 16, 2017
Under threat of Trump, White House defends Iran deal
The White House says the world is a safer place than it was a year ago, thanks to the Iran nuclear deal, which it says Tehran is keeping to.
In a statement marking a year since the implementation of the JCPOA, the White House makes a veiled call for the incoming Trump administration to desist from a promise to renegotiate the deal, saying it is not just an agreement between the US and Iran.
“The United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work and represents an agreement between the world’s major powers — not simply the United States and Iran,” the statement reads.
The statement says the deal is preferable to the alternatives: Iran running unconstrained toward a bomb or another war in the Middle East
The statement also expresses concerns over Iran’s ballistic missile program and “support for violent proxies in places like Syria and Yemen.”
“We have remained steadfast in opposing Iran’s threats against Israel and our Gulf partners,” the statement reads.
The Times of Israel Community.