This archive report was first published on 10 July 2019.
US President Donald Trump has taken aim at the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a deal spearheaded by former Secretary of State John Kerry that promised sanctions relief and economic benefits to Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
On Twitter, Trump claimed that Iran has been secretly enriching uranium in violation of the deal, which was set to expire in a short number of years.
"Iran has long been secretly 'enriching,' in total violation of the terrible 150 Billion Dollar deal made by John Kerry and the Obama Administration," Trump said.
Trump also warned that sanctions will soon be increased substantially, following Tehran's announcement that it has surpassed 4.5 percent uranium enrichment, above the 3.67 percent limit under the accord.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has stated that the country will roll back its commitments under the deal in stages every 60 days in an effort to force the other parties to deliver on their side of the bargain.
As tensions rise, the United States has dispatched a naval carrier, bombers, and extra troops to the region to counter perceived threats from Iran.
Trump had previously called off a retaliatory military strike against Iran after the Islamic republic shot down a US drone that it said had crossed into its airspace, a claim denied by Washington.
