Trump appears closer to terminating Iran deal: ex-Saudi envoy
Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan and Foundation for Defense of Democracies President Cliff May on President Trump’s discussion with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the future of the Iran nuclear deal.
A former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that President Donald Trump appears to be moving closer to terminating the Iran nuclear deal, which comes up for renewal next month.
“It sounds to me as if he is ready to pull out, and I think the Saudis would support that,” Jordan, the former envoy, told FOX Business’ Ashley Webster.
Trump told reporters during a White House meeting Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that “a lot of bad things” are happening in Iran. “The Iran deal is coming up,” Trump said. “It’s probably another month or so, and you’re going to see what I do. But Iran has not been treating that part of the world or the world itself appropriately.”
When asked if the U.S. should withdraw from the deal, the crown prince said, “We’ll talk about that.”
Cliff May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said it is most likely that Saudi Arabia is in favor of terminating the Iran nuclear deal or attempting to fix flaws that were created by Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama.
“There’s a chance that this agreement can be fixed, but if not, I think the Saudis will say we have got to terminate it,” May said during an interview on FOX Business’ “Countdown to the Closing Bell.” “It’s not in our interest. It’s not in the interest of the region and is not in the U.S. interest.”
Saudi Arabia has historically taken a diplomatic approach toward the region. But the 32-year-old crown prince has been changing the dynamics in the Middle East and echoed Trump’s position, calling the Iran nuclear deal a "flawed agreement."
“He is a modernizer and a reformer,” May said. “He understands the economy of Saudi Arabia needs to evolve, needs to change if the nation is to survive.”