Under the 2015 deal, Mr. Obama got Iran to dismantle key pieces of its nuclear program and submit to intrusive inspections. Mr. Trump and other critics argued, with some evidence, that Iran was exploiting the opportunity to fortify its conventional military and to build up its allied militias around the region. Curiously, as some critics have noted, Mr. Trump is now approaching North Korea in the same way Mr. Obama approached Iran. And in what critics call a further confusion, Mr. Trump has sometimes hinted that, even with Iran, he might be willing to compartmentalize the nuclear issue. And other than that, we can sit down and make a deal,” Mr. Trump said in a recent television interview, summarizing his message to Tehran.

Source: International New York Times July 08, 2019 19:52 UTC