Trump's Speech Against Iran Deal a National Disgrace

U.S. President Donald Trump makes a statement on the administration's strategy for dealing with Iran, in the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House, October 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump stated that the Iran nuclear deal is not in the best interests for the security of the United States, but stopped short of withdrawing from the 2015 agreement. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump's Speech Against Iran Deal a National Disgrace

The most insulting of Trump's lies was when he sought to pass himself off as a champion of the Iranian people.

Trump's speech today was a national disgrace. This isn't an effort to stiff a contractor over a real estate project, it's a matter of war and peace. Donald Trump is in way over his head.

Contrary to the reporting, Donald Trump is killing the deal - not in one move, but in several moves. First, Congress will attempt to kill it through deal-killing legislation from Sen. Tom Cotton. If that is blocked, Trump has vowed to kill it himself. Either way, the deal will get killed by this process triggered by Trump.

"Trump is single handedly destroying U.S. credibility and all but guaranteeing that no country in their right mind would agree to a deal with the U.S. again."

Cotton's legislation would seek to unilaterally rewrite the nuclear deal, an unequivocal violation of the agreement. A vote for that bill would be as significant as a vote for the 2002 war with Iraq.

Trump is single handedly destroying U.S. credibility and all but guaranteeing that no country in their right mind would agree to a deal with the U.S. again. The U.S. has shredded alliances through go-it-alone approaches before, to disastrous effect. Trump's has reduced America's allies on Iran to just Benjamin Netanyahu and the Saudi royal family. Trump's "coalition of the willing" on Iran makes George W. Bush's old coalition on Iraq look like a diplomatic masterstroke.

The most insulting of Trump's lies was when he sought to pass himself off as a champion of the Iranian people. As we speak, Trump is banning nearly all Iranians from the United States. The majority of people targeted by Trump's Muslim ban are Iranian. Iranian Americans are being cut off from their family members in Iran thanks to Trump.

Congress must step in and make it clear that it will restrain this President and that the U.S. is fully committed to upholding its word on the Iran deal.

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.