Trump squandered prospect of peaceful reform in Iran: Former CIA Director

Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan has slammed United States President Donald Trump's administration for its hard-line stance toward Iran, saying it has diminished the possibility of peaceful political change there.

"With wholesale condemnation of Iran and nuclear deal over past year, Trump Admin squandered the opportunity to bolster reformists in Tehran and prospects for peaceful political reform in Iran. Bluster is neither a strategy nor a mechanism for the exercise of US power and influence," Brennan tweeted on Tuesday.



With wholesale condemnation of Iran and nuclear deal over past year, Trump Admin squandered opportunity to bolster reformists in Tehran and prospects for peaceful political reform in Iran. Bluster is neither a strategy nor a mechanism for exercise of U.S. power and influence.

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) January 2, 2018


Brennan served as CIA director during the Obama administration.

Trump dubbed the Iranian regime as "brutal" and "corrupt" and also purported that the money was given to Iran by Barack Obama, when he was the American president "went into terrorism and into their 'pockets.'"
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Iran President Hassan Rouhani vows to never violate nuclear deal

Iran will never breach the nuclear deal it signed with major powers, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed.

Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister's Special Envoy Masahiko Koumura on Wednesday, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

The Iranian leader said the nuclear deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in 2015 by Iran with the US, Russia, Britain, China and France plus Germany, was an important international accord.

"Today after the implementation of the JCPOA, we should not allow violating the deal," Rouhani said.

He pointed out that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified Iran's commitment to JCPOA for several times, while the US has not been fully committed to the deal.

"The US is trying to make a media campaign against international cooperation," Rouhani said.

Iran spares no efforts in establishing stability and security in the region, he added.

In the wake of the economic sanctions imposed recently by the US government led by President Donald Trump, there have been worries about possible US termination of the nuclear deal with Iran.
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