Iran president mocks Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran has just dismissed US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia over the weekend describing it as a “theatrical gathering” that would do nothing to combat terrorism in the region.

In a news conference in Tehran today, Rouhani said Trump’s first visit abroad was a “theatrical gathering with no practical or political value”.
He continued to say,

“you can’t solve terrorism just by giving your people’s money to a superpower”Rouhani sai referring to a $110 billion military deal Trump clinched with Saudi Arabia recently.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi also called on Washington to abandon its “warmongering policy, intervention, Iranophobia and sales of dangerous and useless weapons to the main sponsors of terrorism.

“Unfortunately, under the hostile and aggressive policies of the American statesmen, we are witnessing a renewed strengthening of terrorist groups in the region and miscalculation of the dictatorships which support these groups”.

Iran nuclear: Trump extends Obama’s ‘worst deal ever’

Iran has pledged to restrict its nuclear activities

Donald Trump’s White House has renewed sanctions relief for Iran, despite the US president’s past criticism.

The easing of sanctions is part of a crucial nuclear deal brokered in 2015 under then-President Barack Obama with five other world powers.

Mr Trump has described the landmark agreement as the “worst deal ever”.

However, the US Treasury issued fresh sanctions against specific officials and a Chinese business with links to Iran’s missile programme.

The move means that sanctions preventing any US companies selling to or dealing with Iran will remain suspended for the time being.

The president has openly criticised Iran and the nuclear deal in the past

In return, Iran has pledged to restrict its nuclear activities, reducing its uranium enrichment, plutonium production plans, and allowing inspectors access to facilities.

The new sanctions from the Treasury are much more specific in scope, targeting two senior Iranian defence officials and suppliers of missile equipment, in apparent retaliation for a recent missile test, and for Iran’s support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

US citizens and entities are now banned from dealing with the officials and companies involved.

However, the White House stopped short of failing to renew the waivers on more widespread sanctions, which are not permanent and were due to expire this week.

This is the first time Mr Trump has been faced with the issue, after former Mr Obama renewed the agreement shortly before he left office.

Mr Trump has consistently warned Iran over its missile activity, and has criticised the terms of the deal made by Mr Obama – at one point claiming his “number one priority” if elected would be “to dismantle the disastrous deal”.

But the other nations involved in the agreement – including China, Russia, and the UK – believe it is the best way to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon.

Since Mr Trump’s inauguration, his administration has also continued to certify to Congress that Iran is upholding its part of the deal, which it must do every 90 days.

But in April, Mr Trump ordered a wider review of the nuclear deal, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Iran “remains a leading state sponsor of terror, through many platforms and methods”.

Tehran, however, has always argued it has no nuclear weapon ambitions and is using nuclear technology for energy purposes.

BBC

Breaking: US accuses Iran of ‘alarming provocations’

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accused Iran of “alarming ongoing provocations” aimed at destabilising the Middle East and undermining America’s interests in the region.

“An unchecked Iran has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea and to take the world along with it,” Mr Tillerson said.

President Donald Trump earlier ordered a review of the Iran nuclear deal.

However, the US admits that Tehran is complying with the 2015 agreement.

Iran has so far made no public comments on the latest developments.

Iran has repeatedly denied accusations by the West that it was ever trying to develop nuclear weapons.

On Tuesday, Washington accused North Korea of trying to “provoke something”, after Pyongyang conducted a failed missile test over the weekend.

In response, North Korea said it may test missiles on a weekly basis, and warned of “all-out war” if the US takes military action.

‘Many threats’

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Tillerson said the Iran review, which he announced in a letter to Congress a day earlier, would not only look at Tehran’s compliance with the nuclear deal but also its actions in the Middle East.

Mr Tillerson accused Iran of undermining US interests in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

“A comprehensive Iran policy requires we address all of the threats posed by Iran, and it is clear there are many,” he said.