Will Trump End Iran Nuclear Deal? Do Not 'Test The Resolve Of This New President,' Pence Warns Iran

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence Sunday warned Iran not to underestimate President Donald Trump, saying Tehran would do well to “think twice about their hostile and beligerant actions.”

In an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Pence advised Iran to “look at the calendar” and realize Barack Obama is no longer in office.

Trump repeatedly criticized the Obama administration of being soft on Iran and Friday placed new sanctions on the Islamic Republic for a ballistic missile test last Sunday and an attack on a Saudi ship by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

“Iran would do well not to test the resolve of this new president,” Pence warned, adding, “Iran would do well to think twice about their hostile and belligerent actions.”

Pence called the Iran nuclear deal, which removed sanctions from Iran in exchange for Tehran cutting back its nuclear program, a terrible deal, which “essentially allows Iran to develop a nuclear weapon — in the years ahead at a certain date.”

Though both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary John Mattis have said the U.S. must stand by the deal, Pence said Trump is re-evaluating it.

On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” House Speaker Paul Ryan said he thinks sanctions need to be racheted up.

“I think what this administration is doing, which I agree with, is saying, ‘We have a new administration, and we're going to hold you, Iran, to account,’ “ Ryan said. “This last administration did not do that. This new administration needs to do that. And I think that's what you're getting here.”

Ryan noted Iran is still the “largest sponsor of terrorism in the world” and guilty of “human rights abuses galore.”

Ryan said until now we have appeased Iran.

On CNN’s “State of the Union” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted the Iran nuclear deal is not a treaty but rather something the executive branch agreed to. He said that if Trump wants to “unwind” the deal, he can do so without congressional approval.