President Trump is "unlikely" to stay in the Iran nuclear deal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Friday.
Pompeo said that Trump has not yet made a decision, but Reuters reports that he suggested major changes were necessary in order to consider staying. "There's been no decision," Pompeo reportedly said, but "absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal."
In the 2015 agreement, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for lessened economic sanctions from six world powers. Trump called the deal "insane" and "ridiculous" earlier this week, saying it never should have been made.
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.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Trump to stay in the deal during a state visit to the White House this week, but Trump's public rejection of the deal has not subsided as a result of Macron's attempted persuasion. In a Fox & Friends interview, Trump said that Macron had left the Oval Office viewing Iran "a lot differently," even though Macron himself said in a speech to Congress that France remained committed to the deal. Trump hasn't closed the door entirely to a renegotiation, but Pompeo and other State Department officials say that a withdrawal is more likely.
-
Can Nigel Farage and Reform balance the books?Today's Big Question Nigel Farage has, for the first time, ‘articulated something resembling a fiscal rule’ that he hopes will win over voters and the markets
-
The best quality chocolateThe Week Recommends The milk and dark chocolate bars that win on depth and flavour
-
Crossword: November 3, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
