President Donald Trump announced Friday that the U.S. will decertify the Iranian nuclear agreement and sanction the nation’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization under counter-terrorism authority.
“History has shown that the longer we ignore a threat, the more dangerous that threat becomes. For this reason upon taking office, I ordered a complete strategic review of our policy towards the rogue regime in Iran,” Trump said during a speech at the White House. “Our policy is based on a clear-eyed assessment of the Iranian dictatorship, its sponsorship of terrorism and its continuing aggression in the middle east and all-around the world.”
The decertification of the Iranian nuclear deal does not mean a withdrawal from the agreement. It forces Congress to review the deal with Trump hoping that Congress enacts sanctions. (RELATED: Trump Will Decertify The Iran Deal, Here’s What Comes Next)
“However, in the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated,” Trump said. “It is under continuous review and our participation can be canceled by me as president at any time.”
Trump’s issues with the 2015 nuclear deal include its “sunset clause,” which remove restrictions on the regime’s ability to pursue nuclear weapons in a decades time, and Iran’s continued testing of ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Iran’s IRGC, which is under direct control of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was targeted by the Treasury Department.
“The IRGC has played a central role to Iran becoming the world’s foremost state sponsor of terror. Iran’s pursuit of power comes at the cost of regional stability, and Treasury will continue using its authorities to disrupt the IRGC’s destructive activities,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “We urge the private sector to recognize that the IRGC permeates much of the Iranian economy, and those who transact with IRGC-controlled companies do so at great risk.”