News
Iran's hardliners say Trump has done them 'great favors'
Tehran (CNN)Tehran is a city that wears its political colors on its sleeve. The sprawling Iranian capital nestles between barren mountain ranges, its streets packed with high rises, leafy parks and markets. A major boulevard slices through the metropolis, from the working class south to the more affluent north; a journey along this road highlights the many political views of its population.
Vicious infighting has raged here since Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signed a landmark nuclear agreement with the West; moderates rally around Rouhani, calling for more political freedom, while hardliners and clerics lament the country's "softer" international stance. But US President Donald Trump's recent remarks on Iran have infuriated Iranians across the political spectrum -- regime officials say they have forced the heavily politicized society to close ranks. The country's conservatives are saying "I told you so," while moderates express disappointment at the hard line taken by Trump. On Friday, after weeks of rhetoric, the US President announced plans to decertify the country's landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- better known as the Iran nuclear deal -- that had eased the country's isolation since 2013.
Trump also labeled Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) a "corrupt terror force."