WASHINGTON _ National Security Council officials are pressing President Donald Trump to force Iran out of its 2015 nuclear accord with world powers before the 2020 election, warning him that Tehran's defiance and its expanding nuclear work could pose political problems for his campaign, two sources familiar with the discussions told McClatchy.
National Security Adviser John Bolton and his aides are exploring aggressive sanctions moves that would target the nuclear agreement at its core and potentially collapse the deal outright. His camp within the West Wing is making a case that Trump's withdrawal from the agreement was not enough � and that only full termination of the accord will complete the circle on his 2016 campaign promise and secure his legacy with voters.
The 2020 Democratic primary field is already latching on to a narrative that Trump has failed to jumpstart negotiations or produce a better alternative to the nuclear deal � and has only made matters worse. Several candidates warned last week that Trump's brinkmanship with Tehran in June spawned from a crisis of the president's own making, precipitated by his withdrawal from the 2015 accord.
