Trump pulls US from Iran nuclear deal, to revive sanctions

Iranian state television says the decision is 'illegal, illegitimate and undermines international agreements'

PARIS/ WASHINGTON/ ANKARA: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was reimposing economic sanctions on Iran and pulling the United States out of an international agreement aimed at stopping Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

The decision is likely to raise the risk of conflict in the Middle East, upset America’s European allies and disrupt global oil supplies.

“I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal,” Trump said at the White House. “In a few moments, I will sign a presidential memorandum to begin reinstating US nuclear sanctions on the Iranian regime. We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanctions.”

Statement on the Iran Nuclear Deal: https://t.co/O3SpryCKkc

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2018

The 2015 deal, worked out by the United States, five other international powers and Iran, eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear programme.

Trump says the agreement, the signature foreign policy achievement of Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, does not address Iran’s ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 nor its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.



Iran has ruled out renegotiating the agreement and threatened to retaliate, although it has not said exactly how, if Washington pulled out.

Renewing sanctions would make it much harder for Iran to sell its oil abroad or use the international banking system.

'Trump decision is illegal'

Iranian state television said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal was "illegal, illegitimate and undermines international agreements".

Trump said he was reimposing economic sanctions on Iran and
pulling the United States out of an international agreement
aimed at stopping Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Iran would remain in the deal without Washington. Nevertheless, Trump’s decision to exit the deal could tip the balance of power in favour of hardliners looking to constrain Rouhani’s ability to open up to the West.

Iran denies it has tried to build atomic weapons and says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. UN inspectors say Iran has not broken the nuclear deal and senior US officials themselves have said several times that Iran is in technical compliance with the pact.

Iranian state television said Trump’s decision to withdraw was “illegal, illegitimate and undermines international agreements.”

Renewing sanctions would make it much harder for Iran to sell its oil abroad or use the international banking system.

Iran is the third-largest member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and pumps about 3.8 million barrels per day of crude, or just under 4 per cent of global supply. China, India, Japan and South Korea buy most of its 2.5 million bpd of exports.

France, Germany, Britain 'regret' decision

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that France, Germany and Britain regretted US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.



"France, Germany, and the UK regret the US decision to leave the JCPOA (Iran deal). The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake," he wrote on Twitter.

France, Germany, and the UK regret the U.S. decision to leave the JCPOA. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 8, 2018

"We will work collectively on a broader framework, covering nuclear activity, the post-2025 period, ballistic activity, and stability in the Middle-East, notably Syria, Yemen, and Iraq," he added.

The leaders of Britain, Germany and France, which were signatories to the deal along with China and Russia, said in a joint statement that Trump’s decision was a cause for “regret and concern.”

Israel 'lauds' Trump's Iran policy

Israel has traded blows with Iranian forces in Syria since February, stirring concern that major escalation could be looming.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that after identifying “irregular activity” by Iranian forces in Syria, it instructed civic authorities on the Golan Heights to ready bomb shelters, deployed new defenses and mobilised some reservist forces.

An Israeli air strike targeted a Syrian army position south of Damascus on Tuesday but caused no casualties, a commander in the regional alliance supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Reuters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a televised address lauding Trump’s Iran policy and alluding to the tensions over Syria.

Saudi Arabia, Iran’s arch-foe in the Middle East, and Washington’s other Gulf Arab allies also welcomed Trump’s decision.

Trump devoted part of his speech to the “long-suffering people of Iran,” criticising Iran’s rulers and saying “the future of Iran belongs to its people.”