National security adviser H.R. McMaster said Thursday the Trump administration is pursuing an Iran policy that focuses on all of Iran’s activities, and isn’t worried exclusively about the Iran nuclear agreement, like the Obama administration was.
“What’s different about President Trump’s approach to the nuclear deal is his approach to Iran broadly. I think previously the approach to Iran was all about getting this deal and while that focus was happening and that was the focus of policy, Iran engaged in a broad range of destabilizing activity,” McMaster told NBC.
WATCH: Its really about how our approach to this deal fits into a broader Iran strategy. General H.R. McMaster on Iran Deal pic.twitter.com/smmmHqSfNa— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 21, 2017
McMaster said while the Trump administration is interested in renegotiating parts of the Iran nuclear deal, including the term, expiration, and details about the country’s ability to develop some ballistic missiles, it is just as focused on how Iran can help the Middle East by becoming a stable nation.
“It’s really about how our approach to this deal fits into a broader Iran strategy to address what Iran is doing, which is immeshing the greater Middle East in conflict,” McMaster added.
The adviser said Trump’s announcement on whether to pull out from the nuclear agreement will “fit into a fundamentally sound and broad strategy aimed at addressing Iran’s destabilizing behavior and prioritizing — protecting American vital interests.”