US President Donald Trump pulls out of Iran deal

Reuters - President Donald Trump on Tuesday pulled the United States out of an international nuclear deal with Iran in a step that will raise the risk of conflict in the Middle East, upset America’s European allies and bring uncertainty to global oil supplies. Trump, speaking in a televised address from the White House, said he would reimpose economic sanctions on Iran. “This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made,” Trump said. “It didn’t bring calm. It didn’t bring peace. And it never will.” The 2015 deal, worked out by the United States, five other international powers and Iran, eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for the country limiting its nuclear program. The pact is seen by many in the West as a way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. But Trump complains that the agreement, the signature foreign policy achievement of his predecessor Barack Obama, does not address Iran’s ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 nor its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Iran will remain in the nuclear deal without Washington. Iranian state television said Trump’s decision to withdraw was “illegal, illegitimate and undermines international agreements.”