Trump Ramps Up Iran Pressure, Forgetting His Own JCPOA Break
France 24 announces Donald Trump is 'ramping up pressure' on Iran after fresh clashes, as if escalating tensions just 'erupt' from thin air. What's missing from this narrative? The crucial detail that in 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal designed to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. This move,
widely opposed by US allies and nuclear experts, is documented by the New York Times , and directly led to Iran restarting parts of its nuclear program and intensifying regional proxy activities. So, the 'pressure' being 'ramped up' is on an escalatory ladder largely built and ignited by a previous US policy decision. One might wonder if 'fresh clashes' are less an organic eruption and more a
predictable consequence of abandoning diplomacy. It appears 'maximum pressure' rhetoric, rather than solving issues, merely provides a convenient villain for the nightly news cycle.