An historic agreement between the United States, Iran, and members of the UN Security Council is in tatters following a decision by President Trump to pull the US out of the agreement.
In a speech from the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the US would violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reinstitute sanctions on Tehran.
“It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement,” the President claimed.
Following his remarks, Trump signed a memorandum imposing nuclear sanctions on Iran. He described them as “the highest level of sanctions,” and warned that other nations aiding Iran’s nuclear ambitions would also face economic punishment.
The JCPOA, finalized under the Obama administration in 2015, provided Iran with sanctions relief in return for submitting to nuclear inspections to ensure the non-existence of a weapons program.
Intelligence officials have testified that the deal provided the US with insights into Iran’s nuclear activity.
Prior to Wednesday’s announcement, the deal had remained in place because President Trump has issued rolling certifications verifying that Iran is in compliance.
Trump last certified the deal in January, but promised it would be the final time unless changes are made. The next certification deadline is Saturday.
At no point during President Trump’s statement did he allege that Iran was in violation of the agreement. In fact, members of his administration have testified to Congress that Iran remains in compliance.
Instead, the Trump cited Iran’s ongoing ballistic missile tests, support for “terrorism,” and foreign interventions—issues that were intentionally not covered in the JCPOA.
The President’s decision follows an intense lobbying effort by European allies to keep the US in the deal. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson both traveled to the White House to urge Trump to keep the agreement in place.
“France, Germany, and the UK regret the U.S. decision to leave the JCPOA. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake,” Macron tweeted on Tuesday.
During his visit to Washington last month, Macron showed a willingness to renegotiate a new Iran deal with Trump.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani immediately foreclosed on that idea, saying there will be no renegotiations.
Rouhani, however, was open to the idea of keeping the JCPOA in place with its European signatories, Russia, and China. That move could leave the US isolated, and force the Trump administration to awkwardly weigh sanctions for Europeans dealing with Iran under the auspices of the JCPOA.
Also on Twitter this week, the President attacked former Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped negotiate the JCPOA, and was making the rounds arguing against the US withdrawing.
“John Kerry can’t get over the fact that he had his chance and blew it! Stay away from negotiations John, you are hurting your country!” Trump tweeted on Tuesday, hours before making his announcement.
