Trump: Fate of Iran nuclear deal hangs on tough UN policing

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s ability to monitor Iran will determine the future of the deal, Trump said.

US President Donald Trump is warning that Washington will walk away from the nuclear deal with Iran if deemed that the United Nations (UN) agency monitoring the agreement is not tough enough in monitoring it.

In a message Monday to a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) read by US Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Trump said, “We will not accept a weakly enforced or inadequately monitored deal.”

Iran claims the greatest threat to the deal is “the American administration’s overly hostile attitude.” Alluding to US assertions that the deal allows the IAEA to inspect Tehran’s military sites, Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi is urging the agency to “resist such unacceptable demands,” while Iranian leaders have stated that UN inspections of its military sites are out of the question.

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano told The Associated Press that under the monitoring conditions accepted by Iran, his agency “has access to (all) locations without making distinctions between military and civilian locations” as it works to ensure the Islamic Republic doesn’t have hidden nuclear activities.

The US and Israel suspect that Iran is using its military bases to proceed with the development of its nuclear program while using the guise of “classified bases” to conceal their illicit actions.

Trump plans to hold talks on Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. US national security adviser HR McMaster said the conversations would be wide-ranging, but that “Iran’s destabilizing behavior” would be a major focus of Trump’s discussions.

Netanyahu is expected to present trump with Israel’s various concerns regarding the deal and possible ways to rectify or nullify the agreement.

By: AP and World Israel News Staff