Donald Trump confirms US will pull out of Iran nuclear deal

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed that America would pull out of a nuclear deal signed with Iran and world powers.

Trump delivered the much-anticipated announcement at the White House following a phone call with his French counterpart Emanuel Macron earlier in the day.

“I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal,” he stated at the White House.

“It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement,” Trump continued. “The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen.”

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed between Iran, the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, and France in 2015.

Iran signed the deal promising to halt its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions.

President Trump has often criticized the 2015 deal and previously threatened to scrap the current agreement unless new, more stringent restrictions were imposed on Iran by May 12.

In his White House address, the US President said Iran was a state-sponsor of terrorism, pointing to Iranian involvement in wars across the Middle East, mainly in Syria and Yemen.

Iran also has a significant influence in Iraq through the Shia-dominated Hashd al-Shaabi militias who have been accused of human rights violations across the country.

Trump revealed that he would introduce new “powerful sanctions” as he moves forward with his decision to pull out of the pact.

He also said the JCPOA had “allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium and over time reach the brink of a nuclear breakout,” citing “definitive proof” that Tehran lied about halting its nuclear program.

On April 30, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly criticized the JCPOA, unveiled exclusive details about Iran’s long-standing nuclear program.

Based on the evidence, Netanyahu emphasized that Iran’s nuclear program never really ended. It began in 1999 under the name, “Project Amad,” and it continues today.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, an enraged Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the US that it would “soon regret” any decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal.

He added that Iran would “not negotiate with anyone about our weapons and defenses,” stating his country would “make and store as many weapons, facilities, and missiles” as needed.