Trump withdraws U.S. from Iran nuclear deal
- 6 years ago
In a widely expected move, U.S. President Donald Trump has pulled America out of the Iran nuclear deal.
The 2015 agreement, forged under the Obama administration, offered the easing of economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for a curb in Tehran's nuclear program.
For more let's turn to our Ro Aram at the news center…
Aram... I guess we all saw this coming… what exactly did Trump have to say?
Well Semin… the rhetoric Trump used to describe the deal in Tuesday's announcement was nothing new…
He described the deal as horrible, decaying and rotten and that it was "an embarrassment" to him as a U.S. citizen.
He added the agreement did nothing to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"…..The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing we know exactly what will happen in just a short period of time. The world's leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons.'
He also announced that he would reimpose economic sanctions that were waived when the deal was signed three years ago.
"…..We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanction. Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States. America will not be held hostage to nuclear blackmail."
The U.S. Treasury Department, however, said the sanctions related to Iran's energy, auto and financial sectors would not be reimposed immediately, but after 90-day and 180-day wind-down periods.
Aram… all the other signatories of the deal have been trying to dissuade President Trump from pulling out, but their words have fallen on deaf ears.
What reactions are we seeing?
Semin… The leaders of Britain, Germany and France released a statement saying they regret the decision.
They immediately urged the U.S. not to take any actions that could prevent them and Iran from continuing to implement the agreement.
This sentiment was echoed by the European Union's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, who said the EU was determined to preserve the deal.
Iran responded by saying it was preparing to restart uranium enrichment.
But Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said he would wait a few weeks to discuss the matter with allies and other signatories to the nuclear deal first.
Former U.S. President Obama called Trump's decision a serious mistake and defended the agreement his administration helped negotiate.
The only supporters of Trump's announcement so far have been Israel and Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, eyes will also be on how the decision will affect upcoming talks between the U.S. and North Korea, as experts say Pyongyang may now be apprehensive about reaching a nuclear deal with Washington.
The 2015 agreement, forged under the Obama administration, offered the easing of economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for a curb in Tehran's nuclear program.
For more let's turn to our Ro Aram at the news center…
Aram... I guess we all saw this coming… what exactly did Trump have to say?
Well Semin… the rhetoric Trump used to describe the deal in Tuesday's announcement was nothing new…
He described the deal as horrible, decaying and rotten and that it was "an embarrassment" to him as a U.S. citizen.
He added the agreement did nothing to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"…..The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing we know exactly what will happen in just a short period of time. The world's leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons.'
He also announced that he would reimpose economic sanctions that were waived when the deal was signed three years ago.
"…..We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanction. Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States. America will not be held hostage to nuclear blackmail."
The U.S. Treasury Department, however, said the sanctions related to Iran's energy, auto and financial sectors would not be reimposed immediately, but after 90-day and 180-day wind-down periods.
Aram… all the other signatories of the deal have been trying to dissuade President Trump from pulling out, but their words have fallen on deaf ears.
What reactions are we seeing?
Semin… The leaders of Britain, Germany and France released a statement saying they regret the decision.
They immediately urged the U.S. not to take any actions that could prevent them and Iran from continuing to implement the agreement.
This sentiment was echoed by the European Union's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, who said the EU was determined to preserve the deal.
Iran responded by saying it was preparing to restart uranium enrichment.
But Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said he would wait a few weeks to discuss the matter with allies and other signatories to the nuclear deal first.
Former U.S. President Obama called Trump's decision a serious mistake and defended the agreement his administration helped negotiate.
The only supporters of Trump's announcement so far have been Israel and Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, eyes will also be on how the decision will affect upcoming talks between the U.S. and North Korea, as experts say Pyongyang may now be apprehensive about reaching a nuclear deal with Washington.