President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from a multinational nuclear agreement with Iran, saying the deal is “defective at its core” and announcing “the highest level of sanctions” against Tehran.
Under the deal signed in Vienna with six world powers – the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union – Iran scaled back its uranium enrichment programme and promised not to pursue nuclear weapons.
In exchange, international sanctions were lifted, allowing it to sell its oil and gas worldwide. However, secondary US sanctions remain. United Nations inspectors have repeatedly confirmed Iran’s compliance with the deal.
Trump said the agreement – also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – was a “horrible one-sided deal that should never ever have been made”.
In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would bypass Washington and negotiate with the other signatories of the deal, calling the US move “unacceptable”.
Following Trump’s speech on Tuesday, there was an immediate reaction by world leaders, including the other parties to the landmark deal.
Here’s a round-up of statements from around the world:
France, Germany and UK
“France, Germany and the UK regret the US decision to leave the JCPOA,” French President Emmanuel Macron, a champion of the deal, wrote on Twitter.
“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.”
France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said in a radio interview “the deal is not dead”. He said Europe’s foreign leaders will meet next week with representatives from Iran to talk about the future of the JCPOA.
Germany also reiterated it also wants to uphold the deal. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said “the deal makes the world safer”, adding that Germany could find no legitimate reason for pulling out of the deal.
On Twitter, UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said he regretted the US no longer taking part in the nuclear deal.
“UK remains strongly committed to the JCPoA, and will work with E3 partners and the other parties to the deal to maintain it,” he added.
Aljazeera
