Donald Trump has withdrawn the US from the landmark Iran nuclear deal. In his White House announcement, the US president said the ‘highest level of economic sanction’ will immediately be implemented on Iran by the United States.
Trump has long been an opponent of the Obama-era accord, and first threatened to pull out of the agreement during his campaign for office. But there was an immediate backlash, with Iranian state TV describing his decision as illegal, illegitimate and undermining international agreements He said: ‘This was a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made.
‘It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace and it never will.’ Trump also acknowledged that Iran will want to make a ‘new lasting deal’ and says he is ready, willing and able to negotiate a new deal when Iran is ready.
He announced that all the sanctions on Iran that the US had halted as part of the deal will be reintroduced. It marks a blow to some of America’s closest allies – including Britain, France and Germany – who joined the US in signing the deal just three years ago. He said: ‘In theory the so-called Iran deal was supposed to protect the United States and our allies from the lunacy of an Iranian nuclear bomb, a weapon that will only endanger the survival of the Iranian regime.’
In return for removing sanctions, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear programme, making it impossible to produce a bomb, along with rigorous inspections.