United States top envoy accuses Iran of 'alarming provocations'

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"Iran has not lived up to the spirit of the agreement", Trump said on Thursday at the White House, contradicting what his own State Department said earlier in the week.

"They (Iranians) are doing a tremendous disservice to an agreement that was signed. It shouldn't have been negotiated the way it was negotiated".

Iran says the U.S. continues to frustrate its efforts to rebuild trade ties with the rest of the world through remaining sanctions, and denies any desire to build a nuclear bomb.

Tillerson said that the review, which will be led by the National Security Council, will evaluate whether suspending sanctions related to the nuclear deal was "vital to the national security interests of the United States".

Before that 90-day policy review is finished review, the Trump administration will be faced with a decision that directly affects USA compliance with the deal. "It's very hard to say, 'We are ripping it up.'" But he also said that he would be vigilant in policing that contract. Tuesday's letter was the first such notification by the Trump administration.

But after Mr Trump came to the White House in January, the Israel-US ties have witnessed a remarkable upswing, with Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu jointly criticising Iran at a presser in February in the US.

"I can't answer your question on stability", he said.

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Mr Tillerson accused Iran of intensifying multiple conflicts including the one in Syria, undermining USA interests in several countries, continuing to support attacks against Israel, and sponsoring cyber and terror attacks across the world.

Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University, said Trump may be allowing himself to argue in the future that existing deals can be improved without being totally discarded. Critics have said it's unfathomable that the USA would grant sanctions relief to Tehran even as it continues testing ballistic missiles, violating human rights and supporting extremist groups elsewhere in the Middle East.

The official concluded, "I'm not sure that's a compelling case to stay in the JCPOA and continue to provide the sanctions relief that is fueling Iran's belligerent and unsafe behavior". With some of those critics now in office, Tillerson's comments Wednesday marked the first time that position has been echoed by the USA government.

The nuclear deal was negotiated under the administration of US President Barack Obama, a Democrat, to the disagreement of the Republican-controlled congress, which had already imposed economic sanctions against Iran.

Iranian officials, however, say the US has been putting obstacles in the path of the deal's implementation.

"It would more isolate the United States than it would isolate Iran", he said, noting that other world powers are party to the deal.

"Everywhere you look, if there is trouble in the region, you find Iran", Mattis told reporters.

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