FRANCE/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani exchanged threats over the Iran nuclear deal Tuesday [4-24-18], with Trump warning that Tehran will face ‘big problems’ if it restarts its nuclear program and Rouhani saying America will face ‘severe consequences’ if it abandons the agreement. Iran nuclear deal Tuesday, with Trump warning that Tehran will face ‘big problems’ if it restarts its nuclear program and Rouhani saying America will face ‘severe consequences’ if it abandons the agreement. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, in Washington on a state visit, called for a ‘new deal’ to complement the 2015 nuclear agreement, covering not just nuclear issues but also ballistic missiles and Iran’s roles in conflicts in the Middle East, including the wars in Syria and Yemen. If he convinces Trump that’s worth pursuing, it could buy the nuclear deal more time. The verbal warfare between Iran and Trump comes ahead of a deadline on May 12 for Trump to decide whether to re-impose some of the economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under the nuclear deal. The U.S. president, alongside Macron on Tuesday, repeatedly belittled the Barack Obama-era agreement but didn’t say for sure if he’d walk away from it next month.”
–Nahal Toosi and Quint Forgey, “Trump defiant over Iran deal as deadline approaches,” Politico, April 24, 2018 11:23 am