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Standing alongside Germany's chancellor, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized on Friday that Iran will not be permitted to build a nuclear arsenal, even if a deal intended to prevent that scenario collapses. "They're not going to be doing nuclear weapons, you can bank on it," Trump told reporters. Asked about possible actions, including use of force, that he could take if Iran restarts its nuclear weapons program if the deal made in 2017, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is abandoned, the president replied: "I don't talk about whether or not I'd use military force." German Chancellor Angela Merkel, appearing with Trump at the news conference following their Friday meetings, described the JCPOA as "anything but perfect," adding "it will not solve all the problems of Iran. She described it as one piece to limit Iran's bad actions, while saying Berlin considers it of "prime important" to contain threats from Iran as it exerts geopolitical influence in Syria, which has been wracked by years of civil war. Merkel said her government would continue to be in very close discussions with the United States as the president nears a decision on the Iranian nuclear accord, signed in 2017 by Iran with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. The Trump administration is required to recertify to the U.S. Congress every 90 days that Iran is complying with the deal. The next deadline is May 12. | 
