Trump Set To Take Swipe At Iran Nuclear Agreement
VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. In the coming hours, the U.S. President is expected to reveal a much tougher stands on Iran.</s>SESAY: Senior U.S. Officials say he's ready to decertify the Iran nuclear deal. That could be a strategic move or another attempt to scrap the Obama legacy rather. For more on what's at stake, here's our own Robyn Curnow.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment.</s>ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: In 2015, the Obama administration along with five other world powers made a land's mark deal with Iran, to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of more than $100 billion worth of sanctions. But there was a catch, Congress passed a law that requires the deal to be recertified every 90 days, and that deadline is up on Sunday.</s>TRUMP: You'll be hearing about Iran very shortly.</s>CURNOW: Trump has hinted that he will not recertify the deal because he thinks that's the bad one that doesn't cover missile testing. While also claiming that Iran isn't complying with the terms of the agreement, even though the IAEA says they are. Even so, some of Trump's top officials have advised him not to dump the deal.</s>JAMES MATTIS, UNITED STATES DEFENSE SECRETARY: Absent indications to the contrary, it is something the President should consider staying with.</s>CURNOW: Other countries have signed on to the deal, agree. Saying the benefits of the deal outweigh the potential consequences of the U.S. pulling out.</s>SIGMAR GABRIEL, GERMANY PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Our big concern is that the security situation would get worse if the U.S. rejects the Iran nuclear deal and not better.</s>SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIA FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We think this program is really one of the most important achievements of the International Community and that its implementation makes a contribution to reinforcement of nuclear non-proliferation regimes.</s>CURNOW: Iran says there'll be no renegotiation. At the United Nations last month, the Iranian President gave a stern warning to the U.S. to keep its end of the bargain.</s>HASSAN ROUHANI, IRAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If the new officials in the United States believe that the violation of the Iran deal will bring pressure on Iran, then you can say that they are completely and absolutely mistaken in their political equations.</s>TRUMP: And everyone in this room --</s>CURNOW: If Trump decides not to recertify the nuclear deal, the next step falls to Congress. And lefts 60 days to consider re-imposing nuclear sanctions on Iran. Robyn Curnow, CNN.</s>VAUSE: Joining us now from Tehran, Raheem (ph) Mostaghim, a journalist with the Los Angeles Time, Raheem, thank you for being with us. How is Iran expected to react if the President does as expected and goes ahead and decertifies the nuclear deal?</s>RAMIN MOSTAGHIM, JOURNALIST, LOS ANGELES TIMES: Of course, Iran doesn't expect IRGC be blacklisted by -- from administration. That is what they expect but on the other hand, they have done everything they could be done -- do. And they have left no stone unturned to make sure that the nuclear deal remains intact. And I suppose at the end of the day, the government, the incumbent moderate government, does want to keep the commitment and avoids anything that may mean slamming the nuclear deal. Because that is the best option for them and they appreciate that. Of course, if Trump notify it or slammed the nuclear deal, that would be a gift and treasure for the hard-liners inside Iran ruling establishment.</s>VAUSE: Well, you say that they re-valued this nuclear agreement, they want to try to make it work. Is there a chance here that they may look at renegotiating some passive? Because of, you know, the speculation that the U.S. would like to add new conditions to the deal. Extend the sunset clause, for instance, that's when restrictions would be lifted right now, it's 2025. The Trump administration would like to make that longer, for example. Is that something which could be looked at?</s>MOSTAGHIM: Yes, of course. There are gray areas and between the line, the diplomats in Iran are sending the signal that they are ready for even grand negotiations, who talk about everythings and consider the nuclear deal done and not to be renegotiated. But on the other hand, they say let's talk about everything, but they don't say it clearly, but between the line, they get it -- understood that they are ready for a grand bargain and grand negotiations. And they want just to go further from this impasse because they have no other options. And actually, they tried to make a deal to survive and to keep the country going on.</s>VAUSE: You say they're open for negotiations and they put this out there. They haven't made it very clear, though. Do we know if there's any -- bid any sort of formal communication between Tehran and Washington to that point?</s>MOSTAGHIM: I think they are in direct sending signals if there is no secret talks but there is some signals that it seemed that they read each other's message indirectly and they try to send the message that let's talk. I mean, that is -- apart from the rhetorics hard-liners say that OK, if Trump tear it, we will bury it like that. But apart from that, they just want to say that, OK, even in the worst scenario if America -- American administration drop it, we will keep it as Europe</s>VAUSE: Ramin, thank you for being with us. We appreciate the insight. And talks are always good. Appreciate it.</s>MOSTAGHIM: Thank you.</s>SESAY: Well, coming up, once you start listening to the new podcast "Dirty John," you won't be able to stop. After the break, we'll talk to the creator who tells us all t Jason Aldean restarted his "They Don't Know" Tour hours ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma</s>VAUSE: OK. Also, the singer in the Las Vegas mass shooting, back on the road. Jason Aldean's first concert since the massacre in just a moment.