New fear of blowing up Korea talks

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal is likely to jeopardize ongoing negotiations with North Korea, critics warned Tuesday.

“Pulling out of Iran deal with no Plan B makes conflict with Iran more likely and means that America can’t be counted on to keep its word,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a statement. “It’s also exactly the wrong move as we enter negotiations with North Korea.”

North Korean officials have told their South Korean counterparts that denuclearization is on the table when it comes to talks with the U.S. as Trump finalizes plans for a summit with Pyongyang leader Kim Jong Un (photo).

Sen. Chris Murphy (DConn.) said pulling the U.S. from the Iran deal does nothing but complicate negotiations with North Korea.

“It will make it even harder to convince Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons because we just showed that we can’t be trusted to live up to our end of a bargain,” he said. Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, disagreed.

“It sends a very clear signal that the United States will not accept inadequate deals,” Bolton said.

Secretary of State Pompeo was en route to the isolated country on Tuesday, Trump announced.

U.S. officials said Pompeo will press North Korea for the release of three detained American citizens, whose imminent release Trump has been hinting at in recent weeks.

Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer with no White House role, said the trio would be released last week.

Trump announced the Pompeo mission during his remarks on the Iran deal, and before the top diplomat arrived in Japan to refuel before flying on to North Korea.

“We will all soon be finding out. We will soon be finding out,” Trump said of the possible release of the captive Americans.