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Europe Scrambles to Save Iran Nuclear Deal European Leaders Condemn Trump’s Decision on Iran
(about 4 hours later)
PARIS — European leaders expressed deep concern on Friday that President Trump would decertify the Iran nuclear deal, a pact they view as an important step toward averting conflict in the Middle East, with implications for tensions on the Korean Peninsula. President Trump’s long-expected announcement on Friday that he would disavow the Iran nuclear deal was immediately condemned by European leaders, who view the accord as essential for averting another conflict in the Middle East at a time when the world is worried about tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
President Trump is expected declare on Friday his intention not to certify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 accord, an act that would kick to Congress a decision about whether to reimpose sanctions on the country. In an unusual joint statement, Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France said that they “stand committed” to the 2015 deal and that preserving it was “in our shared national security interest.”
From Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, leaders across the continent voiced alarm at the prospect of Mr. Trump undermining the 2015 deal, which Iran negotiated with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. “The nuclear deal was the culmination of 13 years of diplomacy and was a major step towards ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program is not diverted for military purposes,” they said after Mr. Trump spoke on Friday, noting that the Security Council had unanimously endorsed the deal and that the International Atomic Energy Agency had confirmed Iran’s compliance with it.
Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters on Friday that an American withdrawal from the deal “undoubtedly will affect the atmosphere of predictability, security, stability and nonproliferation in the world,” according to Tass, the Russian news agency. The Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, called his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to reiterate Russia’s commitment to the deal, the news agency said. “We encourage the U.S. Administration and Congress to consider the implications to the security of the U.S. and its allies before taking any steps that might undermine” the nuclear agreement, including reimposing sanctions on Iran, the leaders added.
In Germany, officials have repeatedly shown support for the deal in recent days, and have warned that an American decision to walk away from it could damage the relationship between the United States and Europe. Steffen Seibert, a German government spokesman, told reporters in Berlin on Friday that Germany viewed the deal as “an important instrument to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.” But Saudi Arabia and Israel, which are both adversaries of Iran, welcomed Mr. Trump’s announcement that he would no longer certify the nuclear deal with Iran.
Mr. Trump’s decision does not terminate the agreement with Iran. Instead, it leaves it to Congress to decide whether to impose new sanctions on Iran — a step that would effectively trash the deal.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister who has always opposed the deal, said that Mr. Trump’s announcement created “an opportunity to fix this bad deal” and was a sign of Mr. Trump’s determination to “boldly confront Iran’s terrorist regime.”
Saudi Arabia, which has waged a proxy battle against Iran for supremacy in the region and was the first country Mr. Trump visited after taking office, said it welcomed what it called a “new U.S. strategy” toward Iran.
But European leaders expressed deep concern about Mr. Trump’s decision. Like Russia and China, they have long warned the United States not to back away from the agreement.
Before Mr. Trump’s announcement on Friday, President Vladimir V. Putin voiced alarm at the prospect of Mr. Trump’s undermining the deal, which Iran negotiated with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters on Friday that an American withdrawal from the deal “undoubtedly will affect the atmosphere of predictability, security, stability and nonproliferation in the world,” according to Tass, the Russian news agency.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, called his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to reiterate Russia’s commitment to the deal, the news agency said.
In Germany, officials have repeatedly shown support for the accord in recent days, and have warned that an American decision to walk away from it could damage the relationship between the United States and Europe.
Steffen Seibert, a German government spokesman, told reporters in Berlin on Friday that his country viewed the deal as “an important instrument to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.”
“That’s why we will continue to work towards its full implementation,” he said. “If an important country like the United States comes to a different conclusion, as appears to be the case, we will work even harder with other partners to maintain this cohesion.”“That’s why we will continue to work towards its full implementation,” he said. “If an important country like the United States comes to a different conclusion, as appears to be the case, we will work even harder with other partners to maintain this cohesion.”
British officials have been pressing the Trump administration to respect the deal. Mrs. May called Mr. Trump to emphasize that it was “vitally important for regional security.” British officials had pressed the Trump administration to respect the deal. Mrs. May called Mr. Trump to emphasize that it was “vitally important for regional security.”
Boris Johnson, the British foreign secretary, has also tried to make that point to his American counterpart, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, saying the deal was “making the world a safer place,” The Daily Telegraph reported. Boris Johnson, the British foreign secretary, also tried to make that point to his American counterpart, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, saying the deal was “making the world a safer place,” The Daily Telegraph reported.
Agnès Romatet-Espagne, a spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that it viewed the deal as “an instrument at once strong, robust and verifiable, that guarantees that Iran will not develop a nuclear weapon.”
“We wish to see it fully implemented by all parties involved,” she told reporters at a news conference. “Multilateralism is the only way to solve international problems that respects all parties involved, by way of dialogue and exchange.”
Under the terms of the deal, Iran agreed to accept severe limits on its ability to enrich uranium fuel for 15 years, in exchange for the revocation or suspension of economic sanctions, including a European oil embargo.Under the terms of the deal, Iran agreed to accept severe limits on its ability to enrich uranium fuel for 15 years, in exchange for the revocation or suspension of economic sanctions, including a European oil embargo.
The deal also imposed for the first time a verification mechanism that allowed the international community to make sure that Iran was abiding by its promises not to pursue nuclear weapons.The deal also imposed for the first time a verification mechanism that allowed the international community to make sure that Iran was abiding by its promises not to pursue nuclear weapons.
It was a major diplomatic triumph for the Obama administration, and has been praised by arms control groups who say it helped avert a potential conflict or nuclear arms race in the Middle East.It was a major diplomatic triumph for the Obama administration, and has been praised by arms control groups who say it helped avert a potential conflict or nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
There are fears that the basic framework of the accord could collapse if the United States walks away. Mr. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, told reporters on Friday that Russia believed Iran would abandon the deal if the United States did.There are fears that the basic framework of the accord could collapse if the United States walks away. Mr. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, told reporters on Friday that Russia believed Iran would abandon the deal if the United States did.
And as tensions between the United States and a nuclear-armed North Korea have escalated in recent months, European leaders have seen the Iran deal as an important example of a possible diplomatic way forward.And as tensions between the United States and a nuclear-armed North Korea have escalated in recent months, European leaders have seen the Iran deal as an important example of a possible diplomatic way forward.
Germany’s foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, highlighted the implications of the deal for North Korea in an interview on Thursday with the German newspaper group RND. He warned that an American withdrawal could set off a scramble for nuclear weapons, threatening both international security and the European-American relationship.Germany’s foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, highlighted the implications of the deal for North Korea in an interview on Thursday with the German newspaper group RND. He warned that an American withdrawal could set off a scramble for nuclear weapons, threatening both international security and the European-American relationship.
“Some states could understand the breakdown of the Iran deal as a signal to provide themselves with nuclear weapons as quickly as possible,” he said. “Then we would not only have North Korea as an acute problem.”“Some states could understand the breakdown of the Iran deal as a signal to provide themselves with nuclear weapons as quickly as possible,” he said. “Then we would not only have North Korea as an acute problem.”