Donald Trump has vowed to release the text of the Iran agreement in a few days, even suggesting he’d read it live to the media. He said the deal’s core is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and has now agreed to send it to Congress.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to publicly release the text of the agreement with Iran “in a couple of days” and even floated reciting the entire document in front of cameras. The US President indicated that he is waiting for a “formal setting” before revealing it publicly.
“I’d like to get a formal setting first before we do that, but I have no problem with that. It’s a great document,” he said during a meeting with the leader of the United Arab Emirates, President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Detailing the core substance of the accord, the US President added, “Here’s what it says: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump went on. The President signed the agreement electronically on Sunday, but the full text hasn’t been publicly disclosed. Neither members of Congress nor Trump’s fellow world leaders have read it in full. But the President downplayed any secrecy.
Refusing to shroud the development in secrecy, the US President hinted at complete transparency in media coverage. “I’ll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word, so that the press covers it accurately, because it’s a very important document,” he said. Reiterating his timeline for the disclosure, he offered, “I’ll go over the document with the media in a couple of days.”
Trump Commits to Congressional Review
In another significant development, President Donald Trump committed to sending the eventual text of his agreement with Iran to Congress for review, even though he admitted that it had not crossed his mind originally. “Yeah, I would. I never thought about sending it, never even thought about it, but I will. I will send it to Congress,” Trump told reporters at the G7 in France. Trump presented his decision as almost an afterthought: “I like the idea. Send it to Congress, please.”
The executive decision follows strong assertions from Washington lawmakers regarding legislative oversight. In response to news about the agreement on Sunday, Trump ally and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham had said, “Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote. I look forward to reviewing the final product, and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President Vance and his negotiating partners be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress.”
Sitting next to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Trump joked that he would get Democratic support for the agreement if he said he didn’t want its approval. Taking a satirical swipe at domestic political polarisation, the US President noted, “What I’d like to do is send it to Congress saying you shouldn’t approve it, and I’ll get it approved,” he said. “Whatever I say, they want to do the opposite.” (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)