Trump refuses to endorse Iran deal, unveils aggressive new strategy

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal is formally titled, was crafted over 21 months of hair-pulling negotiations. 

Read more: Trump doesn't understand the art of the Iran deal 

Signed by Iran, Germany, and UN Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, the JCPOA curbed Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

"I am announcing that we cannot and will not make this certification," Trump said in a highly anticipated address on America's strategy for containing Tehran.

During a blistering attack on Iran, Trump announced tough new sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), vowing to target officials, agents and affiliates of the group.

He stopped short of declaring the powerful group a terrorist organisation.

Read more: From Iran to UNESCO - The Trump 'Withdrawal doctrine'

Trump, who has been railing against the Iran deal since before he was elected in November last year, called the nuclear deal "one of the worst" in US history, and warned America could leave it "at any time".

The US president called Iran one of the world's "leading state sponsor of terrorism", and said he would deny Iran "all paths to a nuclear weapon".

Trump said Iran was not "living up to the spirit of the deal" and spreads "death, chaos, and destruction" across the globe.

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