President Trump on Tuesday announced plans to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, saying it has failed to halt the country’s nuclear ambitions.
Speaking in the Diplomatic Room of the White House, Trump said: “I am announcing today the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.”
A source said that Trump’s announcement will start a 90-day countdown to the restoration of sanctions.
Once sanctions are re-imposed, the U.S. effectively would be out of the deal.
It’s not clear which sanctions lifted under the deal Trump plans to immediately re-impose. He has several options. A more limited move could leave Trump more room to potentially stay in the deal if other members agree to toughen it.
If he follows through on a sweeping imposition of sanctions, the move threatens to topple the Iran nuclear agreement as a whole – and with it, his predecessor’s signature foreign policy achievement.
The president began briefing foreign and congressional leaders on his decision ahead of his 2 p.m. announcement.
And he started the day by warning former Secretary of State John Kerry not to meddle in the negotiations.
“John Kerry can’t get over the fact that he had his chance and blew it! Stay away from negotiations John, you are hurting your country!” Trump tweeted early Tuesday.
This was a reference to reports that Kerry was meeting with foreign officials in a bid to salvage the pact. Speaking at a summit Tuesday in Italy, Kerry did not back down, saying the Middle East is “safer with this agreement” and framing this juncture as a choice between peace and war.
Trump’s announcement comes ahead of a May 12 deadline to make a decision on sanctions.
It follows efforts by European allies to convince Trump to keep the deal, even with changes.
But Trump reportedly was unconvinced. Since the 2016 presidential campaign, he has railed against the agreement and its Obama administration negotiators.
The 2015 pact lifted most U.S. and international sanctions against the country, in exchange for Iran agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear program making it impossible to produce a bomb, along with rigorous inspections – terms generally set for 10-15 years.
But Israel, Gulf Arab states and many congressional Republicans said the deal was a giveaway to Tehran that ultimately paves the path to a nuclear-armed Iran several years in the future.
“Perhaps the nuclear deal’s most unforgivable flaw is that its original architects chose to stand with and empower Iran’s mullahs over the Iranian people, whose opposition to their corrupt and criminal government continues to grow,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote in a Fox News op-ed urging Trump to abandon the pact and ratchet up sanctions.
But Trump’s decision could lead to retaliation from Iran in the near-term.
If the deal collapses, Iran could resume prohibited enrichment activities, while businesses and banks doing business with Iran would have to scramble to extricate themselves or run afoul of the U.S.
While Trump himself was tight-lipped about his decision in the run-up to the announcement, Iranian officials also were left guessing.
In Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani sought to calm nerves. “It is possible that we will face some problems for two or three months, but we will pass through this,” Rouhani said.
Rouhani earlier warned of “grave” consequences if Trump pulled back on the agreement.
Obama foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes, who played a key role in the deal, also tweeted that “Trump is blowing that up with no understanding of what’s actually in the Deal, no plan for what comes next, and no support from our closest European allies, Russia or China.”
A factor leading to Tuesday’s decision may have been Israel’s public lobbying. A week ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to the U.S. president by making explosive allegations that new evidence proved Tehran had lied about its nuclear program and adherence to the pact.
But even Trump’s secretary of state and the U.N. agency that monitors nuclear compliance have agreed that Iran, so far, has lived up to its side of the deal.
Does this mean we are going to strike Syria again?
“A factor leading to Tuesday’s decision may have been Israel’s public lobbying. A week ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to the U.S. president by making explosive allegations that new evidence proved Tehran had lied about its nuclear program and adherence to the pact.”
A factor? Lol, make no mistake, the bitch named trump took his ORDERS as a good little bitch goy does and did what israel commanded. I’m gonna repeat myself for anyone who hasn’t been listening or hasn’t heard. The oded yinon plan. Iran was in the crosshairs from the get go. Radical clerics or not. Israel is pulling your strings America. WTF are you gonna do about it? I’ll tell you, the vast majority are gonna accept it as life and say “this is the way it is”. I’ve said long ago, there is only a very few people I would call real Americans and trust. Get your kids ready for another israeli war.
“Get your kids ready for another israeli war.”
I’ve been saying it for years, Jamal… inevitable.
And TRULY global this time.
I agree #1. Also, I’d like to point out, I agree with Mark. Let’s do this. It’s gonna happen, so let the games begin and separate the men from the goys
Let’s get this shit over with, the sooner the better. As soon as the Matzo starts to fly, we can do some work here in the states as well, don’t keep all your guns and ammo in one place.
And if you like to eat and drink, better get that taken care of. Grocery stores will be empty in twelve hours.
Israel is gong to start this and drag us in with them.
It’s gotta get started soon because the economic fraud is falling apart. They need to blame that on the war.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in churches and so-called Christian media.
Interesting you said that.
Got news for the Christian Israel first’ers. Israel is still going to face judgement to the point of annihilation. And only God will deliver them. You can bomb the ME/Persia/N. Africa to oblivion, and it’s still going to happen. All you are doing is setting up the new order of Sunni/Wahhabi ME/Persia/N. Africa armies that will ultimately invade Israel.
Keep an eye on Turkey and Saudi Arabia for future references.
See what the Deep State NeoCons did there?
Actually, Trump released Iran from the “Iran deal”. By rejecting the Iran deal.
And in a brilliant Deep State NeoCon good cop/bad cop move, they gave Iran the incentive. That being: Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t now.
BTW, anyone notice how the MAGA QTards are slowly being reprogrammed and repackaged into MAGA4NeoCons?
Not a PsyOps virgin. 😉
No more wars
Trump Withdraws From Iran Nuclear Agreement.
I guess Iran would be the “Stormy Daniels” of foreign policy.
Quick….pull out….
Hey….that’s what the pope would say.
Right…?