The Iran nuclear deal has thus far not curtailed the regime’s interference in the affairs of the region, and Iran has become a threat to the Middle East’s peace and stability.

Recently, Iran announced it was bolstering ties with Pyongyang — in fact, they announced it on the day that North Korea claimed it successfully tested an ICBM capable of reaching the US. It is believed that Iran and North Korea have been sharing nuclear technology, as they have shared missile technology over the years.

After implementation of the nuclear deal, billions of dollars that had been impounded, was returned to Iran. As well, sanctions were lifted, allowing foreign investors to make trade deals, to bring about a much more prosperous Iran. However, the Iranian people have not benefitted from this boost in the economy. Unemployment is high, and many Iranians live below the poverty level. Instead, the regime strengthens its military, and develops a long-range missile defense system.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has the last say on all forms of governance, making Iran’s president unable to act without his permission. Khamenei advocates hegemonic control against the Islamic and Arab world.

It has been reported that Iranian training camps have been preparing foreign fighters for decades, and many of these trainees have gained ‘on the ground’ training during the war in Syria. In Iraq, Iran’s Qods Force has been active. This has been subsidized by cash from the Iran deal, according to experts. When European governments send trade delegations to Tehran, and make lucrative deals, this also subsidizes Iran’s meddling in the region.

US President Trump is now threatening to renegotiate the deal, or abandon it entirely. Iran’s officials claim that if the deal ends, the Iranians can resume enriching their stockpile of uranium to 20 percent, which would take it to weapon’s grade.

In response to Trump’s threat, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, commented that it would be possible for Iran to produce 20 percent enriched uranium at its Fordo plant, within four days of the nuclear deal collapsing.

If the regime gains a nuclear weapon, it does not need to actually use it — it will be a terrifying threat to Iran’s neighbors.