Trump delivers in Iran speech

The president started by specifically outlining the Islamic Republic’s long and bloody history of support for terrorist groups. He mentioned Iran’s involvement in the Marine Barracks bombing of October 1983, the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996, Iranian support for al Qaeda following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and Iran’s killing of many hundreds of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump referenced the money Iran received as part of the Iran nuclear deal and asked, “I wonder where all that money went.”

We know where it went. In that same vein, Trump also singled out the Revolutionary Guards Corps for new sanctions. As I’ve noted, the IRGC is a particularly violent and aggressive organ of the Iranian state and one that poses a significant threat to American lives. Trump noted that the IRGC attempted to blow up a Washington, D.C. restaurant in 2011 (watch now-Defense Secretary James Mattis explain that plot here).

Next, Trump lamented the weaknesses of the Iran nuclear agreement. Refusing to certify the nuclear deal, Trump explained that Iran’s “fanatical regime” is obstructing access by inspectors to its military sites, and pursuing nuclear weaponization capabilities. As our editorial noted, these concerns must be addressed if the Iran deal is to be strengthened. Trump stated that he will now work with Congress and U.S. allies to tighten safeguards, and if necessary, sanctions, so as to close down Iran’s access to ballistic missile capabilities.

And Trump didn’t hold back; if no deal can be reached to improve the nuclear deal, the president pledged to “terminate” it. This message was targeted at European leaders whose support Trump seeks to reform the deal, as much as it is toward Iran.

Ultimately, this was a realist address but one that comes with risk: Pushing back against Trump, I believe the IRGC will attempt to threaten U.S. interests, possibly in the Persian Gulf, in the coming days.

We must be ready to counter them.