‘When I make promises, I keep them’
Trump fulfils election pledge to pull out of Iran deal US to reimpose nuclear sanctions on Tehran Britain, France and Germany condemn decision
DONALD TRUMP pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal yesterday, reimposing sanctions on Tehran and delivering on an election campaign promise.
The president said the “defective” 2015 agreement would not stop Iran developing a nuclear bomb and signed a memorandum enacting America’s withdrawal.
Iran has been accused of failing to be honest about its nuclear ambitions while supporting terrorist groups and acting in an increasingly hostile way across the Middle East.
Britain, France and Germany condemned America’s decision and promised to stand by the agreement, claiming it was the only way to prevent a Middle East nuclear arms race. However, Israel, which released intelligence on Iran’s nuclear programme last week, joined several Arab nations in welcoming the announcement.
Mr Trump said: “It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement.
“The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen. In just a short period of time the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapon. Therefore I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.”
The president added: “Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanc- tioned by the United States.” Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, warned that if negotiations with other partners to the deal failed, then the country’s uranium enrichment programme would restart. Shortly after the US announcement, the Syrian regime accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike near a military base south of Damascus used by Iranian forces.
The decision to reimpose sanctions raises fears that European companies that trade with the Iranian government and do business in America could be caught up in the action if they do not curtail their dealings with Iran.
Mr Trump has long been a critic of the nuclear deal, which was signed by his predecessor, Barack Obama, and lifted sanctions in return for the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme being curbed. Mr Obama criticised the decision last night as a “serious mistake”.
Mr Trump said he was open to striking a new, wider deal with Iran that would address behaviour such as the country’s ballistic missiles programme and involvement in Syria and Yemen.
He said he wanted a “real, comprehensive and lasting solution” that would thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He also made it clear that he was delivering on an election campaign pledge, saying: “The United States no longer makes empty threats. When I make promises, I keep them.”
Mr Trump also said there was “definitive proof ” that Iran’s claims that its nuclear energy programme was only for peaceful purposes was a “lie”. The comment echoed allegations made by Israel last week. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, has repeatedly insisted that Iran is in compliance with the terms of the 2015 deal.
The re-imposition of sanctions will come into effect between three and six months from now. They will include sanctions on Iranian oil exports, the country’s central bank and businesses. Some European companies are exploring ways to continue doing business in Iran after making significant investments over the past three years.
Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement saying they “regret” the decision and making clear they would remain parties to the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The statement said: “Our governments remain committed to ensuring the agreement is upheld, and will work with all the remaining parties to the deal to ensure this remains the case, including through ensuring the continuing economic benefits to the Iranian people that are linked to the agreement.
It went on: “We encourage Iran to show restraint in response to the decision by the US; Iran must continue to meet its own obligations under the deal, cooperating fully and in a timely
manner with IEAE inspection requirements.” EU leaders are expected to meet within days to discuss how the deal can be rescued.
Mr Rouhani denounced Mr Trump’s speech as “psychological warfare” and said his country would not bow to pressure: “Our people have always been victorious in the face of conspiracies and we will also emerge victorious at this juncture.” But he added: “I have ordered Iran’s atomic organisation that whenever it is needed, we will start enriching uranium more than before.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister and a leading critic of the deal, said Mr Trump had made a “brave and correct decision” to withdraw from it. “Israel fully supports President Trump’s bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear deal,” Mr Netanyahu said in a speech shortly after Mr Trump’s address.
The Israeli leader has consistently warned that the deal would pave the way for Iran to build an arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Shortly before Mr Trump’s speech, Israel’s military said it had detected “irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria” and ordered Israelis in the Golan Heights to ready their bomb shelters.
Israeli officials have been saying for several weeks that they expected Iran to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike against the T4 airbase in Syria, in which seven Iranians were killed.