Trump signs waiver to uphold the Iran deal for 120 more days as officials insist this is 'the last time'


President Trump has again signed a waiver to uphold the terms of the Iran nuclear deal, setting a deadline of 120 days for European partners to overhaul the pact or else the U.S. will reimpose deal-breaking sanctions, The New York Times reports. Trump has dubbed the agreement with Iran "the worst deal ever," and is reportedly pressuring EU signatories to make uranium enrichment restrictions on Iran permanent, rather than allow them to expire in 2025, the BBC reports. The new deal insisted on by Trump would also need to allow for the inspection of Iranian facilities, with sanctions to be reimposed if Iran refused, and have an amendment added classifying Iran's long-ranging missile program as "inseparable" from its nuclear program, Al Arabiya reports.
"This is the last time [Trump will] issue waivers [on sanctions] unless they reach an agreement," said top White House officials. Trump called it the "last chance" and added "no one should doubt my word. I said I would not certify the nuclear deal — and I did not. I will also follow through on this pledge."
As Trump has been threatening to withdraw from the deal since his candidacy, Iran's vice president Eshagh Jahangiri responded to the news by saying: "If the Americans withdraw from the nuclear deal, we will not hold a mourning service; we are fully prepared for any likely event." Regional experts warn that if the U.S. was to truly withdraw, it would "play into the hands of hard-liners in the country," the Times writes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
So far, Europe has showed no sign of taking Trump up on renegotiating a deal. "The Iran nuclear deal makes the world safer," said British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Thursday. "European partners were unanimous today in our determination to preserve the deal and tackle Iran's disruptive behavior."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
The best shows to see at Edinburgh Fringe 2025
The Week Recommends The world's biggest arts festival is back with an incredible line-up
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resort
Under the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities