Trump strikes blow at Iran nuke deal
Move allows US Congress to reimpose sanctions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — US President Donald Trump struck a blow against the 2015 Iran nuclear deal on Friday, defying both US allies and adversaries by refusing to formally certify that Tehran is complying with the accord even though international inspectors say it is.
Warning that he might ultimately terminate the agreement, Trump’s move was a major change in US foreign policy at a time when his administration is also in a crisis with North Korea over the latter’s nuclear ambitions.
It was the second time in two days that Trump took aim at the legacy of his predecessor Barack Obama after signing an executive order on Thursday to weaken the Democratic former president’s signature health care reform.
Hailed by Obama as key to stopping Iran from building a nuclear bomb, the deal was also signed by China, France, Russia, Britain, Germany and the European Union (EU).
Trump, however, said it was too lenient on Tehran and effectively left the fate of the deal up to the US Congress which might try to modify it or bring back US sanctions previously imposed on Iran.
“We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror and the very real threat of Iran’s nuclear breakout,” Trump said.
European allies have warned of a split with Washington over the nuclear agreement and said that putting it in limbo as Trump has done undermines US credibility abroad.
Trump’s “America First” approach to international agreements has also led him to withdraw the US from the Paris climate accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday that Tehran was committed to the deal and accused Trump of making baseless accusations.
“The Iranian nation has not and will never bow to any foreign pressure,” he said.