The U.S., Iran, and the other nations involved spent about two years hammering out the nuclear deal. It focused strictly on the Islamic nation’s nuclear weapons development. The agreement prohibits Iran from actions related to making nuclear weapons for more than 15 years. In return, the U.S. and the United Nations lifted economic sanctions that had been devastating to Iran’s economy because they stopped any country that did business with the U.S. from investing in Iran.
Democrats were quick to renounce Trump’s decision to pull out of the deal.
“The last thing America and the world need right now is a new nuclear threat,” said Senator Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, in response to the president’s announcement. “Breaking this deal increases the danger that Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program, which threatens our ally, Israel, and destabilizes the entire Middle East. . . . This is a mistake of historic proportions.”
But many Republican lawmakers expressed strong support for President Trump’s decision. Critics of the deal say the agreement was flawed from the start. In addition to most restrictions ending in 2023, the deal’s strict focus on nuclear weapons did not prevent Iran from engaging in other dangerous behavior, they say. That has left the door open for Iran to continue supporting Hezbollah and Hamas, two groups the U.S. considers terrorist organizations. The country also backs Syria’s authoritarian president, Bashar al-Assad, in that nation’s bloody civil war.
“My own view is it’s a flawed deal, and we can do better,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Trump’s decision, while widely expected, plunges America’s relations with European allies into deep uncertainty. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have committed to staying in the deal. That raises the prospect of a diplomatic and economic clash with key allies as the United States reimposes stringent sanctions on Iran—along with the possibility of increased tensions with Russia and China, which also are parties to the agreement.
Trump’s decision could affect much more than just the nuclear deal, experts say. The international reputation of the U.S. may be on the line, especially because its major allies disagree with Trump’s move.
Experts also fear that backing out of the agreement may make it harder for the U.S. to negotiate other international deals in the future. For example, President Trump is set to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un this summer about dismantling the Asian’s country’s nuclear program.
Trump, however, dismissed that concern. He told reporters that his expected summit with Kim will take place soon and that exiting the Iran deal is simply proof that he keeps his promises.
He called on Iran’s leaders to come back to the bargaining table to forge a new deal, although they have said in the past that they have no intention of doing so.
“It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement,” Trump said. “The Iranian deal is defective at its core.”