The Iran nuclear deal was flawed from the beginning and now Iran is "being disingenuous" over it, Rep. Michael McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Wednesday.
"What I see is desperation now on the part of Iran," the Texas lawmaker told Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime," adding he thinks President Donald Trump made the right decision to pull out of the agreement and to enact sanctions.
"Putting the sanctions back on Iran has crippled their economy . . . I think this is a positive step," McCaul said.
Meanwhile, there are several European countries that continue to do business with Iran, but others have decided to comply with the United States' sanctions, and McCaul said he thinks that is a "very positive step" away from Iran.
"That is why I think Iran has laid down the gauntlet to say 'look, you have to either comply with this agreement or we are going to rebuild our nuclear enrichment facility,' and it demonstrates why the sanctions are working now," McCaul said. "Europe is now starting to side with the United States in our poll out of this flawed agreement."
It also means a "maximum pressure campaign" from the Trump administration for renegotiation efforts, McCaul said.
"The U.S.S. Lincoln in the Persian Gulf sends a very strong statement," as does Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to Baghdad to reassure Iraq and that dealing with Iran is not in its best interest, McCaul said.
He added Pompeo was clear the United States would not allow Iran to resume enriching uranium.
"That's why the aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf is a significant departure for Iran, but I think it shows they were never serious in the first place about the Iran deal," McCaul said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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