. .
.
. >>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MY FELLOW AMERICANS, AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
MY HIGHEST OBLIGATION IS TO
INSURE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT THE LONGER WE IGNORE A THREAT, THE
MORE DANGEROUS THAT THREAT
BECOMES.
BECOMES.
FOR THIS REASON, UPON TAKING OFFICE, IVE ORDERED A COMPLETE
STRATEGIC REVIEW OF OUR POLICY
TOWARD THE ROGUE REGIME IN IRAN.
THAT REVIEW IS NOW COMPLETE.
TODAY, I AM ANNOUNCING OUR STRATEGY ALONG WITH SEVERAL
MAJOR STEPS WE ARE TAKING TO
CONFRONT THE REIGNING REGIMES
HOSTILE ACTIONS AND TO ENSURE
THAT IRAN NEVER, AND I MEAN
NEVER, ACQUIRES A NUCLEAR
WEAPON.
WEAPON.
OUR POLICY IS BASED ON A CLEAR-EYED ASSESSMENT OF THE
IRANIAN DICTATORSHIP, ITS
SPONSORSHIP OF TERRORISM AND ITS
CONTINUING AGGRESSION IN THE
MIDDLE EAST AND ALL AROUND THE
WORLD.
IRAN IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF A
FANATICAL REGIME THAT CEASED
POWER IN 1979 AND FORCED A PROUD PEOPLE TO SUBMIT TO ITSD A PROUD
PEOPLE TO SUBMIT TO ITS EXTREMIST RULE.
EXTREMIST RULE. THIS RADICAL REGIME HAS RAIDED
THE WEALTH OF ONE OF THE WORLDS
OLDEST AND MOST VIBRANT NATIONS
AND SPREAD DEATH, DESTRUCTION,
AND CHAOS ALL AROUND THE GLOBE.
BEGINNING IN 1979, AGENTS OF THE
IRANIAN REGIME ILLEGALLY SEIZED
THE U.S. EMBASSY IN TEHRAN AND
HELD MORE THAN 60 AMERICANS
DURING THE 444 DAYS OF THE
CRISIS.
CRISIS. THE IRANIAN BACKED TERRORIST
GROUP, HEZBOLLAH, TWICE BOMBED
OUR EMBASSY IN LEBANON.
ONCE IN 1983 AND AGAIN IN 1984.
ANOTHER IRANIAN SUPPORTED
BOMBING KILLED 241 AMERICANS.
SERVICE MEMBERS THEY WERE IN
THEIR BARRACKS IN BEIRUT IN
1983.
1983.
IN 1996, THE REGIME DIRECTED ANOTHER BOMBING OF AMERICAND
ANOTHER BOMBING OF AMERICAN MILITARY HOUSING IN SAUDI ARABIA
MURDERING 19 AMERICANS IN COLD
BLOOD.
BLOOD.
IRANIAN PROXIES PROVIDED TRAINING TO OPERATIVES WHO WERE
LATER INVOLVED INAL OKAY AL QAED
BOMBING IN KENYA AND TANZANIA
AND QUILLING 224 PEOPLE AND
WOUNDING MORE THAN 4,000 OTHERS.
THE REGIME HARBORED HIGH-LEVEL
TERRORISTS IN THE WAKE OF THE
9/11 ATTACKS, INCLUDING OSAMA
BIN LADENS SON.
IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, GROUPS
SUPPORTED BY IRAN HAVE KILLED
HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN MILITARY
PERSONNEL.
PERSONNEL.
THE IRAN DICTATORSHIPS
AGGRESSION CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.ESSION CONTINUES TO THIS
DAY.
THE REGIME REMAINS THE WORLDS
LEADING STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM AND PROVIDESOF
TERRORISM AND PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO AL QAEDA, THE
TALIBAN, HEZBOLLAH, MOS AND
OTHER TERRORIST NETWORKS.
IT DEVELOPS, DEEMPLOYEES AND PRO
AND HARASSES AMERICAN SHIPS AND
THREATENS FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION
IN THE ARABIAN GULF AND THE RED
SEA.
SEA.
IT IMPRISONS AMERICANS ON FALSE CHARGES.SONS AMERICANS ON FALSE
CHARGES.
IT LAUNCHES CYBERATTACKS AGAINST OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE,INST
OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, FINANCIAL SYSTEM AND MILITARY.
THE UNITED STATES IS FAR FROM
THE ONLY TARGET OF THE IRANIAN
DICTATORSHIPS LONG CAMPAIGN OF
BLOODSHED.
BLOODSHED.
THE REGIME VIOLENTLY SUPPRESSES
ITS OWN CITIZENS.
IT SHOT UNARMED STUDENT PROTESTERS IN THE STREET DURING
THE GREEN REVOLUTION.
THIS REGIME HAS FUELED SECTARIAN
VIOLENCE IN IRAQ AND VICIOUS
CIVIL WARS IN YEMEN AND SYRIA.
IN SYRIA, THE IRANIAN REGIME HAS
SUPPORTED THE ATROCITIES OF
BASHAR AL ASSADS REGIME AND
CONDONED HIS USE OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS AGAINST HELPLESS
CIVILIANS, INCLUDING MANY, MANY
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
I HAVE BEEN GO THE REGIMES MURDEREROUS PAST AND PRESENCE,
WE SHOULD NOT TAKE LIKELY ITS
SINISTER VISION FOR THE FUTURE.
THE REGIMES TWO FAVORITE CHANTS
ARE, "DEATH TO AMERICA" AND
"DEATH TO ISRAEL."
REALIZING THE GRAVITY OF THE
SITUATION, THE UNITED STATES AND
THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY
COUNCIL SOUGHT OVER MANY YEARS
TO STOP IRANS PURSUIT OF
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WITH A WIDE
ARRAY OF STRONG ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS.
SANCTIONS.
THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION LIFTED THESE SANCTIONS JUST
BEFORE WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE
TOTAL COLLAPSE OF THE IRANIAN
REGIME.
REGIME.
THROUGH THE DEEPLY CONTROVERSIAL 2015 NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN.SIAL
2015 NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN. THIS DEAL IS KNOWN AS THE JOINT
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION OR
JCPOA.
JCPOA.
AS I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES, THE
IRAN DEAL WAS ONE OF THE WORST AN MOST ONE-SIDED TRANSACTIONT
AN MOST ONE-SIDED TRANSACTION THE UNITED STATES HAS EVER
ENTERED INTO.
ENTERED INTO. THE SAME MIND-SET THAT PRODUCED
THIS DEAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
YEARS OF TERRIBLE TRADE DEALS
THAT HAVE SACRIFICED SO MANY
MILLIONS OF JOBS IN OUR COUNTRY
TO THE BENEFIT OF OTHER
COUNTRIES.
COUNTRIES.
WE NEED NEGOTIATORS WHO WILL MUCH MORE STRONGLY REPRESENT
AMERICAS INTEREST.
AMERICAS INTEREST. THE NUCLEAR DEAL THREW IRANS
DICK TAY FORTORE A LIFE LINE FRO
THE DOMESTIC PRESSURE THE
SANCTIONS HAD CREATED.
IT ALSO GAVE THE REGIME AN
IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL BOOST AND
OVER $100 BILLION ITSS GOVERNME
COULD USE TO FUND TERRORISM.
THE REGIME ALSO RECEIVED A
MASSIVE CASH SETTLEMENT OF $1.7
BILLION FROM THE UNITED STATES,
A LARGE PORTION OF WHICH WAS
PHYSICALLY LOADED ON TO AN
AIRPLANE AND FLOWN INTO IRAN.
JUST IMAGINE THE SIGHT OF THOSE
HUGE PILES OF MONEY BEING HAULED
OFF BY THE IRANIANS WAITING AT
THE AURIRPORT FOR THE CASH.
I WONDER WHERE ALL THAT MONEY
WENT.
WENT.
WORST OF ALL, THE DEAL ALLOWS
IRAN TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING
CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND, IMPORTANTLY, INEAR
PROGRAM AND, IMPORTANTLY, IN JUST A FEW YEARS, AS KEY
RESTRICTIONS DISAPPEAR, IRAN CAN
SPRINT TOWARDS A RAPID NUCLEAR
WEAPONS BREAKOUT.
WEAPONS BREAKOUT. IN OTHER WORDS, WE GOT WEAK
INSPECTIONS FOR NOTHING MORE
THAN A PURELY SHORT-TERM AND
TEMPORARY DELAY IN IRANS PATH
TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A DEAL
THAT AT BEST ONLY DELAYS IRANS
NUCLEAR CAPABILITY FOR A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME.
THIS, AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, IS UNACCEPTABLE.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THEY THINK
IN TERMS OF 100-YEAR INTERVALS,
NOT JUST A FEW YEARS AT A TIME.
THE SADDEST PART OF THE DEAL FOR
THE UNITED STATES IS THAT ALL OF
THE MONEY WAS PAID UP FRONT,
WHICH IS UNHEARD OF, RATHER THAN
AT THE END OF THE DEAL WHEN THEY
HAVE SHOWN THEY HAVE PLAYED BY
THE RULES.
THE RULES. WHAT IS DONE IS DONE.
THATS WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE.
THE IRANIAN REGIME HAS COMMITTED
MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF THE
AGREEMENT.
AGREEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THEY HAVE EXCEEDED
THE LIMIT OF 130 METRIC TONS OF
HEAVY WATER.
HEAVY WATER. UNTIL RECENTLY, THE IRANIAN
REGIME HAS ALSO FAILED TO MEET
OUR EXPECTATIONS IN ITS
OPERATION OF ADVANCED
CENTRIFUGES.
CENTRIFUGES.
THE IRANIAN REGIME HAS ALSO INTIMIDATED INTERNATIONALSO
INTIMIDATED INTERNATIONAL INSPECTORS INTO NOT USING THE
FULL INSPECTION AUTHORITIES THAT
THE AGREEMENT CALLS FOR.
IRANIAN OFFICIALS AND MILITARY
LEADERS HAVE REPEATEDLY CLAIMED
THEY WILL NOT ALLOW INSPECTORS
ON TO MILITARY SITES, EVEN
THOUGH THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY SUSPECTS SOME OF THOSE
SITES WERE PART OF IRANS
CLANDESTINE NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM.
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE THAT IRAN IS DEALING
WITH NORTH KOREA.
I AM GOING TO INSTRUCT OUR
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES TO DO A
THOROUGH ANALYSIS AND REPORT
BACK THEIR FINDINGS BEYOND WHAT
THEY HAVE ALREADY REVIEWED.
BY ITS OWN TERMS, THE IRAN DEAL
WAS SUPPOSED TO CONTRIBUTE TO
REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PEACE
AND SECURITY.
AND SECURITY. YET, WHILE THE UNITED STATES
ADHERES TO OUR COMMITMENT UNDER
THE DEAL, THE IRANIAN REGIME
CONTINUES TO FUEL CONFLICT,
TERROR, AND TURMOIL THROUGHOUT
THE MIDDLE EAST AND BEYOND.
IMPORTANTLY, IRAN IS NOT LIVING
UP TO THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAL.
SO, TODAY, IN RECOGNITION OF THE
INCREASING MENACE POSED BY IRAN,
AND AFTER EXTENSIVE
CONSULTATIONS WITH OUR ALLIES, I
AM ANNOUNCING A NEW STRATEGY TO
ADDRESS THE FULL RANGE OF IRANS
DESTRUCTION ACTIONS.
DESTRUCTION ACTIONS. FIRST, WE WILL WORK WITH OUR
ALLIES TO COUNTER THE REGIMES
DESTABILIZING ACTIVITY AND
SUPPORT THE TERRORIST PROXIES IN
THE REGION.
THE REGION. WE WILL PLACE ADDITIONAL
SANCTIONS ON THE REGIME TO BLOCK
THE FINANCING OF TERROR.
THIRD, WE WILL ADDRESS THE
REGIMES PROLIFERATIONS OF
MISSILES AND WEAPONS THAT
THREATEN ITS NEIGHBORS GLOBAL
TRADE AND FREEDOM OF IT MAY HAVE
WE WILL DENY THE REGIME ALL
PATHS TO A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
I AM ALSO ANNOUNCING SEVERAL
MAJOR STEPS MY ADMINISTRATION IS
TAKING IN PURSUIT OF THIS
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY.
THE EXECUTION OF OUR STRATEGY BEGINS WITH THE LONG OVERDUEY
BEGINS WITH THE LONG OVERDUE STEP OF IMPOSING TOUGH SANCTIONS
ON IRANS ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY
GUARD CORE.
GUARD CORE. THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD IS THE
IRANIANS SUPREME LEADER CORRUPT
TERROR FORCE AND MILITIA.
IT HAS HIJACKED LARGE PORTIONS
OF IRANS ECONOMY AND SEIZED
MASSIVE RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS TO
FUND WAR AND TERROR ABROAD.
THIS INCLUDES ARMING THE SYRIAN
DICTATOR, SUPPLYING PROXIES AND
PARTNERS WITH MISSILES AND
WEAPONS TO ATTACK CIVILIANS IN
THE REGION AND EVEN PLOTTING TO
BOMB A POPULAR RESTAURANT RIGHT
HERE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. I AM
AUTHORIZING THE TREASURY
DEPARTMENT TO FURTHER SANECTION
THE ENTIRE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY
GUARD CORP FOR ITS SUPPORT FOR
TERRORISM AND TO APPLY SANCTIONS
TO ITS OFFICIALS, AGENTS AND
AFFILIATES.
AFFILIATES.
I URGE OUR ALLIES TO JOIN US IN
TAKING STRONG ACTIONS TO QUUSHCU
IRANS CONTINUED DANGEROUS AND DESTABILIZING BEHAVIOR INCLUDING
THAT WHICH TARGETS THE THEIR
BALANCE BALISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM
AND ACTIVITIES OF WHICH THERE
ARE MANY.
ARE MANY.
SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT, THE REGIMESHE NUCLEAR
AGREEMENT, THE REGIMES DANGEROUS AGGRESSION HAS ONLY
ESCALATED.
ESCALATED.
AT THE SAME TIME, IT HAS
RECEIVED MASSIVE SANCTIONS
RELIEF WHILE CONTINUING TO
DEVELOP ITS MISSILES PROGRAM. IRAN HAS ALSO ENTERED INTOAM.
IRAN HAS ALSO ENTERED INTO LUCRATIVE BUSINESS CONTRACTS
WITH OTHER PARTIES TO THE
AGREEMENT.
AGREEMENT.
WHEN THE AGREEMENT WAS FINALIZED IN 2015, COULD BENGRESS PASSED T
IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT TO ENSURE
THAT CONGRESSS VOICE WOULD BE
HEARD ON THE DEAL.
THIS REQUIRES THE PRESIDENT TO
CERTIFY THAT THE SUSPENSION OF
SANCTIONS UNDER THE DEAL IS
APPROPRIATE AND PROPORTIONATE TO
MEASURE AND OTHER MEASURES TAKEN
BY IRAN TO TERMINATE ITS ELICIT
NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
NUCLEAR PROGRAM. BASED ON THE FACTUAL RECORD I
HAVE PUT FORWARD, I AM
ANNOUNCING TODAY WE CAN NOT AND
WILL NOT MAKE THIS
CERTIFICATION.
CERTIFICATION. WE WILL NOT CONTINUE DOWN A POTH
WHERE THE PREDICTABLE CONCLUSION
IS MORE VIOLENCE, MORE TERROR
AND THE VERY REAL THREAT OF
IRANS NUCLEAR.
IRANS NUCLEAR. THATS WHY I AM DIRECTING MY
ADMINISTRATION TO WORK CLOSELY
WITH CONGRESS AND OUR ALLIES TO
ADDRESS THE DEALS MANY SERIOUS
FLAWS SO THAT THE IRANIAN REGIME
CAN NEVER THREATEN THE WORLD
WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
THESE INCLUDE THE DEALS SUNSET
CLAUSES THAT IN JUST A FEW YEARS
WILL ELIMINATE KEY RESTRICTIONS
ON IRANS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
THE FLAWS IN THE DEAL ALSO
INCLUDE INSUFFICIENT ENFORCEMENT
AND NEAR TOTAL SILENCE ON IRANS
MISSILE PROGRAMS.
MISSILE PROGRAMS. CONGRESS HAS ALREADY GUN THE
WORK
WORK
BEGUN THE WORK TO ADDRESS THESE
PROBLEMS.
KEY HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERS ARE
DRAFTING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD
AMEND THE IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT REVIEW ACT TO STRENGTHENGREEMENT
REVIEW ACT TO STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT, PREVENT IRAN FROM
DEVELOPING AN INTERNET -- THIS
IS SO TOTALLY IMPORTANT -- AN
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE AND MAKE ALL RE
RESTRICTIONS ON IRANS NUCLEAR
ACTIVITY PERMANENT UNDER U.S.
LAW, SO IMPORTANT.
I SUPPORT THESE INITIATIVES.
HOWEVER, IN THE EVENT WE ARE NOT
ABLE TO REACH A SOLUTION WORKING
WITH CONGRESS AND OUR ALLIES,
THEN THE AGREEMENT WILL BE
TERMINATED.
TERMINATED.
IT IS UNDER CONTINUOUS REVIEW AND OUR PARTICIPATION CAN BEW
AND OUR PARTICIPATION CAN BE CANCELED BY ME AS PRESIDENT AT
ANY TIME.
ANY TIME.
AS WE HAVE SEEN IN NORTH KOREA, THE LONGER WE IGNORE A THREAT,,
THE LONGER WE IGNORE A THREAT, THE WORSE THAT THREAT BECOMES.
IT IS WHY WE ARE DETERMINED THAT
THE WORLDS LEADING SPONSOR OF
TERRORISM WILL NEVER OBTAIN
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS. IN THIS EFFORT, WE STAND IN
TOTAL SOLIDARITY WITH THE
IRANIAN REGIMES LONGEST
SUFFERING VICTIMS, ITS OWN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
THE CITIZENS OF IRAN HAVE PAID A HEAVY PRICE FOR THE VIOLENCE AND
EXTREMISM OF THEIR LEADERS.
THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ARE LONG TOG
RECLAIM THEIR COUNTRYS PROUD
HISTORY, ITSS CULTURE, ITS
CIVILIZATION, ITS COOPERATION
WITH ITS NEIGHBORS.
WE HOPE THAT THESE NEW MEASURES
DIRECTED AT THE IRANIAN
DICTATORSHIP WILL COMPEL THE
GOVERNMENT TO RE-EVALUATE ITS
PURSUIT OF TERROR AT THE EXPENSE
OF ITS PEOPLE.
WE HOPE THAT OUR ACTIONS TODAY
WILL HELP BRING ABOUT A FUTURE
OF PEACE, STABILITY AND
PROSPERITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, A
FUTURE WHERE SOVEREIGN NATIONS
RESPECT EACH OTHER AND THEIR OWN
CITIZENS.
CITIZENS.
WE PRAY FOR A FUTURE WHERE YOUNG CHILDREN, AMERICAN AND IRANIAN,G
CHILDREN, AMERICAN AND IRANIAN, MUSLIM, CHRISTIAN, AND JEWISH,
CAN GROW UP IN A WORLD FREE FROM
VIOLENCE, HATRED AND TERROR.
UNTIL THAT BLESSED DAY COMES, WE
WILL DO WHAT WE MUST TO KEEP