President Donald Trump on Tuesday pulled the United States out of an international agreement aimed at stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, and said he would reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran immediately.
The 2015 deal – worked out between Iran and the United States, France, Germany, the UK, the EU, China, and Russia – eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program.
Responding to the news, European Green Party co-chairs Reinhard Bütikofer and Monica Frassoni said:
“In one fell swoop Donald Trump has trashed over a decade of carefully-crafted international diplomacy. In doing that, he broke an important cooperation with the EU, China and Russia. The problems, that Iran is posing in the region, will only grow as a result of Trump’s rash decision.
“The people of Iran are already suffering from a deep economic crisis. This situation can only aggravate under newly imposed U.S. sanctions. It is also probable, that the renunciation of the Iranian nuclear deal will embolden Iran’s more radical forces.
“President Trump’s decision increases the risks of military conflict in the region and of a dangerous arms race as countries may scramble to acquire nuclear weapons.
“The European Union will be hard put to counter Trump’s tactics with a calmer, more measured and long-sighted response.
“Trump has already shown he is prepared to turn his back on the rest of the world. He does so at a huge cost to the U.S. and to everybody else.
“It is imperative that European leaders remain committed to the Iranian deal and its implementation.”
