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Trump Signals Openness to a ‘New Deal’ to Constrain Iran Trump Signals Openness to a ‘New Deal’ to Constrain Iran
(about 3 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump signaled on Tuesday that he was open to a new arrangement with European allies that would preserve the Iran nuclear agreement by expanding and extending its terms to further constrain Tehran’s development of weapons and destabilizing activities in the Middle East. WASHINGTON — President Trump signaled on Tuesday that he was open to a new arrangement with European allies that would preserve the Iran nuclear agreement by expanding and extending its terms to constrain Tehran’s development of missiles and other destabilizing activities in the Middle East.
Hosting President Emmanuel Macron of France at the White House, Mr. Trump again assailed the agreement sealed by his predecessor as a “terrible deal” but said he could agree to “a new deal” negotiated by American and European officials if it was strong enough. He made no commitment, however, leaving it open whether he will pull out of the agreement by a May 12 deadline. Hosting President Emmanuel Macron of France at the White House, Mr. Trump again assailed the agreement made by the Obama administration as “insane” and “ridiculous,” but said he could agree to “a new deal” negotiated by American and European officials if it was strong enough. He made no commitment, however, leaving it unclear whether he will pull out of the agreement by a May 12 deadline he has set to either “fix” the Iran agreement or walk away from it.
“Nobody knows what I’m going to do on the 12th, although Mr. President, you have a pretty good idea,” he said, turning to Mr. Macron, who winked at him in silent reply. “But we’ll see. But we’ll see also if I do what some people expect, whether or not it will be possible to do a new deal with solid foundations. Because this is a deal with decayed foundations. It’s a bad deal. It’s a bad structure. It’s falling down. It should have never, ever been made.” At the same time, Mr. Trump signaled more optimism about brokering a nuclear accord with North Korea as he prepares for a summit meeting with its leader, Kim Jong-un, in May or early June. Dispensing with harsh criticism of the past, Mr. Trump even praised Mr. Kim in strikingly positive terms, calling the head of one of the world’s most authoritarian governments “very open and very honorable.”
Mr. Trump signaled more optimism about a possible accord with North Korea in advance of a summit meeting anticipated to take place by early June. He even praised its leader, Kim Jong-un, in unusually positive terms. The discussion with Mr. Macron illustrated how the separate nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea have increasingly intersected, with far-reaching consequences for American foreign policy in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Mr. Trump’s decision next month to keep or dump the Iran nuclear agreement will invariably influence the anticipated talks with North Korea just days or weeks later as Mr. Kim weighs whether he can reach a deal with the American president.
“We’re having very, very good discussions,” Mr. Trump said. “Kim Jong-un, he really has been very open and I think very honorable from everything we’re seeing.” Mr. Macron came to Washington as the emissary from European allies anxious to persuade Mr. Trump to preserve the Iran agreement while American and European negotiators seek to create side deals intended to further restrain Tehran. Iran presumably would not be part of these agreements, but they would outline standards for its behavior that, if violated, would prompt the West to reimpose sanctions.
Mr. Trump’s description of the North Korean leader rankled critics, who quickly pointed out that the country has one of the most authoritarian systems in the world, known for its harsh prison camps and repressive control over nearly every aspect of society. The president has previously denounced Mr. Kim as a “madman,” nicknamed him “Little Rocket Man,” derided him as “short and fat” and threatened to rain down “fire and fury” if he threatened the United States. Mr. Trump, who likes to leave his options open and make his decisions at the last moment, was coy about whether he would go through with his threat to tear up the Iran agreement by the deadline he set for next month. Aides said he hoped to push back against Mr. Macron’s entreaties strongly enough that the Europeans would understand that they needed to accept tougher limits on Tehran.
But Mr. Trump repeated his vow to walk away from the talks if they did not prove fruitful. “Unlike past administrations, I will leave the table,” he said. “But I think we have a chance of doing something very special with respect to North Korea. Good for them, good for us, good for everybody.” “Nobody knows what I’m going to do on the 12th, although Mr. President, you have a pretty good idea,” he said in an appearance with Mr. Macron, who winked at him in silent reply. “But we’ll see. But we’ll see also if I do what some people expect, whether or not it will be possible to do a new deal with solid foundations. Because this is a deal with decayed foundations. It’s a bad deal. It’s a bad structure. It’s falling down. It should have never, ever been made.”
Mr. Trump would not elaborate on what he meant when asked by a reporter, but instead repeated his hopes for a deal while denying that he had given up anything before the meeting. “We have made no concessions despite some of the media saying that I’ve made concessions,” he said. “I haven’t even discussed a concession, other than the fact that meeting is a great thing.” As Iran warned on Tuesday that it might resume its nuclear activities if the United States does pull out, Mr. Trump threatened it with unspecified retaliation. “You can mark it down,” he said. “If they restart their nuclear program, they will have bigger problems than they have ever had before.”
One of Mr. Macron’s goals in visiting Washington was to persuade Mr. Trump not to scrap the Iran nuclear deal while American and European negotiators seek to create side agreements intended to further restrain Tehran. As for North Korea, Mr. Trump held out hope for an enduring deal that has eluded his three most recent predecessors. “We’re having very, very good discussions,” he said. “Kim Jong-un, he really has been very open and I think very honorable from everything we’re seeing.”
Negotiators have reached a consensus on how to punish Iran if it tests long-range ballistic missiles, but remain divided on extending the limits on its nuclear program beyond the expiration dates in the original agreement, according to people briefed on the discussions. The president has previously denounced Mr. Kim as a “madman,” nicknamed him “Little Rocket Man,” derided him as “short and fat” and threatened to rain down “fire and fury” if he threatened the United States.
In his talks with Mr. Trump, Mr. Macron emphasized that, while imperfect, the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or J.C.P.O.A., should not be tossed aside but instead become one pillar of a broader agreement. Mr. Trump’s praise for the North Korean leader rankled critics, who quickly pointed out that the country has one of the most repressive systems in the world. An American college student died shortly after being released from North Korean custody and three other Americans are still being held. Mr. Kim has been accused of ordering the killing of family members, including the assassination of a half brother poisoned last year with VX nerve agent in Malaysia.
As he held out the prospect of forging an agreement with Mr. Kim, Mr. Trump repeated his vow to walk away from the talks if they did not prove fruitful. “Unlike past administrations, I will leave the table,” he said. “But I think we have a chance of doing something very special with respect to North Korea. Good for them, good for us, good for everybody.”
Mr. Trump would not elaborate on what he meant by “very honorable” when asked by a reporter, but he instead repeated his hopes for a deal while denying that he had given up anything before the meeting. “We have made no concessions despite some of the media saying that I’ve made concessions,” he said. “I haven’t even discussed a concession, other than the fact that meeting is a great thing.”
In his talks with Mr. Trump, Mr. Macron emphasized that, while imperfect, the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or J.C.P.O.A., should not be tossed aside but instead become one pillar of a broader agreement focused on four pillars.
The first would curb Iran’s nuclear program through 2025 or beyond, as the 2015 agreement made by President Barack Obama does, while the second would extend those limits. The third pillar would prevent Iran from developing ballistic missiles and the fourth would discourage it from interfering in neighboring countries.
“I’ve never been as critical of the J.C.P.O.A. as President Trump has, because I believe we can add to it,” Mr. Macron said. “But not knowing the decision President Trump will take, I would like us to work on a deal to build on what has already been accomplished on the J.C.P.O.A., which is beyond the current activities, the ballistic activities and the regional influence.”“I’ve never been as critical of the J.C.P.O.A. as President Trump has, because I believe we can add to it,” Mr. Macron said. “But not knowing the decision President Trump will take, I would like us to work on a deal to build on what has already been accomplished on the J.C.P.O.A., which is beyond the current activities, the ballistic activities and the regional influence.”
Iran’s security chief warned on Tuesday that his country would consider leaving the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, if Mr. Trump pulls out from the separate J.C.P.O.A., which Iran signed in 2015 with President Barack Obama and the leaders of five other major powers. Mr. Macron said the goal would be to “contain Iran in the region,” an argument that seemed to resonate with Mr. Trump, who said one goal would be to block Iran from gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea through Syria. While the two announced no agreement, Mr. Macron said he sensed a “convergence of views” that they could build on.
The official, Ali Shamkhani, said signatories to the nonproliferation treaty have the right to leave it if they “feel their national interests are not intertwined” with the accord. “This is one possibility for the Islamic Republic,” he said during a news conference, aired on state television. Iran’s security chief warned on Tuesday that his country would consider leaving the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, if Mr. Trump pulls out from the 2015 agreement. The official, Ali Shamkhani, said signatories to the nonproliferation treaty have the right to leave it if they “feel their national interests are not intertwined” with the accord. “This is one possibility for the Islamic Republic,” he said during a news conference.
Publicly, Iranian officials have been threatening to start enriching uranium if the United States torpedoes the 2015 nuclear agreement. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors the agreement, Iran has not violated its terms. For their part, Israeli officials moved to shape Mr. Trump’s thinking as well. Avigdor Liberman, the Israeli defense minister, said he planned to leave for the United States on Tuesday night so that he could meet with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and John R. Bolton, the president’s new national security adviser and a longtime opponent of the Iran nuclear agreement. The meetings, he said on Twitter, were to discuss “Iran’s expansion in the Middle East and Syria.”
Iran is an early signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and its leaders have often threatened to pull out of it, but have never followed up. The comments came on a day of pomp and ceremony, as Mr. Trump rolled out the red carpet for Mr. Macron and praised their close relationship. The two embraced warmly and kissed each other on the cheek. In one odd moment in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump even brushed what he said was dandruff off Mr. Macron’s jacket. “We have to make him perfect,” Mr. Trump said, adding, “He is perfect.”
“What Shamkhani said is a bluff,” said Davoud Hermidas-Bavand, an Iranian professor of international law and a former diplomat. “As long as the European Union supports the nuclear deal and Russia and China are endorsing Iran and the deal, there is no point to withdraw for Iran,” he said. “Even if Iran withdraws from the deal, then Iran practically cannot go back to high enrichment of uranium simply because Iran is not allowed to do so and such a move will invite military confrontation.” For the first official state visit of his presidency, Mr. Trump hosted a traditional arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, complete with military bands, color guards, a fife-and-drum corps and a 21-gun salute. In the evening, he hosted an opulent state dinner, his first since taking office, featuring rack of lamb and jambalaya with nectarine tart for dessert.
During his meeting with Mr. Macron on Tuesday, Mr. Trump warned Iran against resuming its nuclear activities if the United States does pull out. “If they restart their nuclear program, they will have bigger problems than they ever had before,” Mr. Trump said. “The wonderful friendship we have developed over the last year is a testament to the enduring friendship that binds our two nations,” Mr. Trump said during the morning ceremony. “Your visit, Mr. President, comes at a critical time for our alliance.”
The comments came on a day of pomp and ceremony, as Mr. Trump rolled out the red carpet for Mr. Macron and praised their warm relationship. The two embraced warmly and kissed each other on the cheek. In one odd moment, Mr. Trump even brushed what he said was dandruff off Mr. Macron’s jacket in the Oval Office. “We have to make him perfect,” Mr. Trump said, adding, “He is perfect.”
For the first official state visit of his presidency, Mr. Trump hosted a traditional arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, complete with military bands, color guards, a fife-and-drum corps and a 21-gun salute.
“The wonderful friendship we have developed over the last year is a testament to the enduring friendship that binds our two nations,” Mr. Trump said with Mr. Macron and their wives at the ceremony. “Your visit, Mr. President, comes at a critical time for our alliance.”
He noted that the French, along with the British, had joined the United States this month in a military strike in Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack blamed on the government of President Bashar al-Assad. He thanked Mr. Macron and the French people for “their steadfast partnership.”
Mr. Macron returned the friendly words. “It is together,” Mr. Macron said during the morning ceremony, “that we will counter the proliferation of arms of massive destruction, be it in North Korea or Iran.”
He also alluded to Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change accord, another point of tension in the relationship.
“It is together that we will be able to act effectively for our planet,” Mr. Macron said. “On this issue, we do not always agree as to the solutions, but in the end, such is the case in any family and in any friendship, and it is also where the fate of our children is at stake.”
Before the men spoke, the strains of military marches and patriotic songs provided a festive backdrop as Mr. Trump led Mr. Macron on a review of American troops in front of the White House, showing off dress uniforms — some in traditional Revolutionary garb — and shiny weapons. It is something of a reciprocal gesture for the grand Bastille Day military parade Mr. Trump attended last summer in Paris as Mr. Macron’s guest.
Later on Tuesday, the president and the first lady, Melania Trump, will host Mr. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at an opulent state dinner featuring rack of lamb and jambalaya, with nectarine tart for dessert.