Trump: Threats to end Iran deal won’t affect North Korea talks

by Jordan Fabian and Brett Samuels - 04/30/18 2:15 PM ET

President Trump said Monday that pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal would not hurt upcoming talks with North Korea.

“I think it sends the right message,” Trump said when asked if his approach to the deal with Tehran sends the wrong message to Pyongyang.

“You know, in seven years, that deal will have expired and Iran is free to go ahead and create nuclear weapons,” he added. “Seven years is tomorrow. That’s not acceptable.”

Trump spoke during a press conference with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House.

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The president refused to say if he will pull out of the Iran deal before a May 12 deadline to extend sanctions relief.

“We’ll see what happens, I’m not telling you what I’m doing,” Trump said.

Trump renewed his criticism of the Obama-era agreement just minutes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a televised address outlining what he said were Iran’s violation of the nuclear pact.

“That is just not an acceptable situation. They’re not sitting back idly. They’re setting off missiles, which they say are for television purposes. I don’t think so,” he said.

Trump also opened the door to a new nuclear pact with Iran, something its leaders have already ruled out, saying his dissatisfaction “doesn’t mean we won’t negotiate a real agreement.”

Trump is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks for high-stakes talks over the rogue leader’s nuclear weapons.

Some foreign-policy watchers say that if Trump pulls the U.S. out of the Iran deal, it could send a message to Kim that the president should not be taken at his word.

Multiple reports over the weekend indicated that North Korea has offered major concessions, such as ending its nuclear program if the U.S. agrees not to invade the country in the future.

Skeptics say Pyongyang has made major promises about curbing its weapons program in the past but has not followed through.

Trump, who has demanded complete denuclearization in North Korea, said Monday that Singapore and the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea are being considered as potential meeting sites.

Trump has long railed against the Iran deal, calling it “terrible” and “the worst ever.”

European allies have urged Trump to remain in the Iran accord while working on a supplemental deal that addresses flaws he sees in the existing agreement.

The Obama-era deal between the United States, Iran, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union provided Tehran billions in sanctions relief in exchange for curbing its nuclear program.