President Trump is pushing for inspections of Iranian military sites as he considers canceling the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Tehran, senior U.S. officials told The Associated Press.
The inspections of the suspicious sites are meant to remedy flaws in the existing deal, according to the news service, and are part of an aggressive new administration push to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Trump harshly criticized the Iranian agreement during his campaign and presidency, saying he was willing to scrap the plan.
{mosads}Iran’s compliance with the requests for the new inspections may provide the administration with a clear path of action, the AP noted.
Administration officials clashed earlier this month over recertifying Iran’s compliance with the agreement.
Trump reluctantly agreed to certify Iran’s compliance at the request of Cabinet members, after the International Atomic Energy Agency said that Tehran’s infractions were minor.
The new strategy will also include negotiations with European nations on a follow-up agreement aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear development, after the current deal expires in about 10 years, according to the AP.
Iran on Thursday successfully tested a satellite-carrying rocket after promising a response to proposed U.S. sanctions over Tehran’s ballistic missile program.