Trump fails to certify Iran deal
May, Macron and Merkel pen rare joint statement opposing US president’s refusal to ink nuclear deal
DONALD TRUMP has been warned his refusal to certify the Iran nuclear deal could lead to war as world leaders condemned his change in policy.
The US president yesterday demanded Iran meet a series of new conditions or face sanctions after deciding the regime was breaching the “spirit” of the agreement.
He stopped short of scrapping the 2015 agreement entirely, but said he would do so if no progress was made. “The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into,” Mr Trump said from the White House.
The announcement was a snub to world leaders, including Theresa May, who lobbied Mr Trump in support of the deal. A joint statement from Mrs May, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron said the deal was in their “shared national security interest”.
Asked if the policy change could lead to war, Israel Katz, the Israeli intelligence minister, said: “Absolutely, yes.”
DONALD TRUMP was reprimanded by world leaders and warned he could trigger war last night after refusing to certify the Iran nuclear deal.
The US president announced yesterday that he thought Iran was breaching the “spirit” of the 2015 agreement and demanded tougher restrictions.
He tasked Congress with agreeing a series of new “trigger points” which if crossed would lead to the re-imposition of sanctions. Mr Trump fell short of scrapping the deal in its entirety – a campaign pledge – but made clear he was willing to walk away if no improvements were made.
The decision triggered an immediate backlash from world leaders who have been intensely lobbying Mr Trump to commit to the deal.
Theresa May, Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron issued a rare joint statement reiterating their belief in the agreement.
It said the Iran deal was in their countries’ “shared national security interest” and added they were “concerned by the possible implications” of Mr Trump’s announcement.
European Union leaders were also critical, while Israel’s intelligence minister when asked if the move could trigger war with Iran said: “Absolutely.”
Mr Trump’s intervention marks the culmination of nine months of thinking in the White House about its stance on the Iran nuclear agreement. The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was struck by Barack Obama in 2015 and agreed to lift sanctions on Iran in return for it not pursuing nuclear weapons. Mr Trump repeatedly criticised the agreement in his election campaign, dubbing it the “worst deal ever”.
However since entering the White House he has faced a backlash from allies and senior advisers who believe the deal remains in America’s interests. Speaking from the White House, Mr Trump announced a compromise position designed to pile pressure on Iran to change its behaviour.
Mr Trump said he would not certify the deal – something that the president must do every 90 days, according to rules agreed by Congress at the time – but not scrap the agreement.
Mr Trump said the agreement had provided a “political and economic life- line” to Iran and stopped the regime from imminent collapse.
He called on Congress to agree new “trigger points” that, if crossed by Iran, would mean new sanctions would be reapplied immediately. These would include ending so-called “sunset clauses”, which Mr Trump said would allow Iran to continue pursuing nuclear weapons in a few years.
Mr Trump added: “In the event we are not able to reach with a solution working with Congress and our allies then the agreement will be terminated,” he said. “It is under continuous review and our participation can be cancelled by me as president at any time.”
The intervention – which marks a major shift in America’s Iranian policy – was criticised by a string of world leaders. The statement from Mrs May, Mrs Merkel and Mr Macron read: “We, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom take note of President Trump’s decision not to recertify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] to Congress and are concerned by the possible implications. We stand committed to the JCPOA and its full implementation by all sides. Preserving the JCPOA is in our shared national security interest.”
Israel Katz, Israel’s intelligence minister, said: “I think that the speech was very significant. Iran is the new North Korea. We see where things are going.”
Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, hit back at Mr Trump, committing to uphold the deal. “We respect the JCPOA ... so long as it remains in keeping with our national rights and interests,” he said.