US Foreign Secretary Rex Tillerson calls Obama’s Iran nuclear deal a failure

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has termed the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran a failure, and said the US is carrying out a comprehensive review of its policy towards the country.

Tillerson said the deal fails to achieve the objective of a non-nuclear Iran and only “delays” its goal of becoming a nuclear state.

“This deal represents the same failed approach of the past that brought us to the current imminent threat we face from North Korea. The Trump administration has no intention of passing the buck to a future administration on Iran,” he said at a hurriedly convened press briefing yesterday.

Tillerson’s comments came a day after the Trump administration notified Congress that Iran is complying with the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by former President Barack Obama, and it has extended the sanctions relief given to the Islamic country in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme.

However, in a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Tillerson said the administration has ordered an inter-agency review of whether the suspension of sanctions was in the US’ national security interests. He also described the country as a “leading state sponsor of terror”.

Reiterating the charge on Wednesday, Tillerson said Iran’s provocative actions threaten the …read more