US President Donald Trump has blamed the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee over the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
In the latest in a war of words with Tennessee Senator Bob Corker on Sunday, the president accused him of being responsible for the nuclear deal between Tehran and members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany.
“Bob Corker gave us the Iran Deal, & that's about it. We need HealthCare, we need Tax Cuts/Reform, we need people that can get the job done!”
The latest tweet came as Trump was reportedly planning to decertify the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
'On the path to World War III'
In an interview with The New York Times later, Corker said Trump’s measures could put the US “on the path to World War III.”
“He concerns me,” Corker said of the former reality TV star. “He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation.”
The senator complained that the president treats the country like “a reality show” and acts “like he’s doing ‘The Apprentice’ or something.”
Earlier in the day, Trump launched a tweet storm against Corker, a steady GOP voice on foreign affairs and national security.
The senator, who announced that he is retiring after his current term, “didn't have the guts to run” for re-election, Trump said.
The Tennessee GOPer responded by calling Trump’s White House “an adult day care center.”
According to Corker’s chief of staff, Todd Womack, the president not only asked the top Republican to run for re-election, but also offered to endorse him.
Since Trump assumed office in January, his administration has been battered by various scandals and dismissals.
Recent reports said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on the verge of resigning amid mounting policy disputes with the White House.
Washington has suggested that Trump will decertify the deal, overruling his own national security team.
The US Republican president faces an October 15 deadline for certifying that Iran is complying with the deal. Such certification is needed by US law every 90 days in order for Congress to continue to withhold nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, itself a US commitment under the JCPOA.