MESOPOTAMIA NEWS TODAYS TOP OF THE AGENDA : Trump, on Twitter, Threatens ‘Consequences’ for Iran

U.S. President Donald J. Trump threatened Iran with “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered” in an all-caps tweet Sunday evening after the Iranian president warned the United States not to incite Iranians (WaPo) against their government.

President Hassan Rouhani’s remarks, reported by state news yesterday, came as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran’s leadership (CNN) of corruption and human rights abuses, saying the government “resembles a mafia.” The escalation in heated rhetoric follows the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement and reimpose sanctions; the first round of banking sanctions suspended under the deal is set to come back into effect in several weeks.

ANALYSIS

“Iran’s regional adventurism in conflicts such as those in Syria and Yemen, mismanagement of the economy, and rampant corruption have cost the regime between $7 billion and $15 billion at a time when the country’s needs are becoming ever more pressing,” writes CFR’s Ray Takeyh.

“For Trump to deride Tehran as a mafia state while courting the leaders of Russia and North Korea is bit rich,” Simon Jenkins writes for the Guardian.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.