In a statement Monday denouncing Iran’s increased uranium enrichment, the White House strangely declared that the country had violated the terms of the Iran nuclear deal before it even existed. “There is little doubt that even before the deal’s existence, Iran was violating its terms,” press secretary Stephanie Grisham wrote. “We must restore the longstanding nonproliferation standard of no enrichment for Iran.” Grisham added that the U.S. and its allies would not “allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons” and said “maximum pressure” would continue if the behavior does not stop.
It’s unclear which parts of the Iran nuclear deal the Trump administration claims Iran has violated. In the past, Trump administration officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have claimed that the deal prohibited Iranian ballistic missiles tests, an interpretation rejected by both Iran and former Obama administration officials, who originally negotiated the agreement.
