Trump's threats fuel nuclear ambitions among Iranian conservatives
Iranian conservatives renew the prospect of exiting the nonproliferation treaty in case the United States withdraws from the nuclear deal.
As President Donald Trump’s May 12 deadline to sign sanctions waivers under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) approaches, Iranian media are reflecting on various potential responses by the government in Tehran.
On April 12, Javan daily, a newspaper affiliated with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) published a report arguing that a US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord is highly likely.
“Europe’s unilateral [actions] and their pressures on the US government haven’t led Trump and his advisers to stand idly by on [their promises regarding the] scrapping of the JCPOA, and [they] are attempting to divert the JCPOA from its main path through increasing pressure and focus,” reported the daily. “In this game, they are trying to portray Iran as a threat to the region and the world and re-create the same old scenario about an Iranian effort to develop nuclear weapons," Javan wrote.
Of note, Trump has said he will exit the nuclear deal if it isn’t “fixed” by May 12, pointing to the accord’s current limitations on Iranian nuclear activities and its non-inclusion of Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional policy.
