On September 10, according to TASS news agency, US President Donald Trump criticized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed with Iran in 2015, as "one of the worst deals in history".
Speaking at a Republican conference in Texas, Mr. Trump said that the agreement signed by President Barack Obama's administration has paved the way for Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
Mr. Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th US President, has implemented an agreement, the JCPOA. One of the worst deals in history. That is the path to Iran's nuclear weapons," Trump said.
The JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed by Iran in 2015 with Germany and the 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council including Britain, China, Russia, the United States and France. The agreement aims to close the prolonged confrontation related to allegations that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.
However, during his first presidential term, Mr. Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA in 2018, and at the same time re-imposed sanctions on Iran after these measures were eased under the agreement.
Mr. Trump said that if the US had not withdrawn from the JCPOA and had not conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow with B-2 bombers, Tehran might have possessed nuclear weapons.
In addition, Mr. Trump predicted that the conflict with Iran would end not long after the midterm elections, and said that Tehran "very wants" to reach an agreement.
The US and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran on February 28. Then, in June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon. However, the US resumed large-scale attacks on Iran on the night of July 8, accusing Tehran of violating agreements related to the Strait of Hormuz.
In that context, the US will hold midterm congressional elections on November 3, 2026. The Republican Party currently controls both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The conference in Dallas is the first party conference held before a midterm election, instead of before the presidential election as usual.
