On May 8th, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would be withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, sparking an international outcry. The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in 2015 by the United States, Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. It was designed to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
The decision to withdraw from the deal was met with strong criticism from the other signatories, as well as from the United Nations. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said that the EU was “determined to preserve” the deal, and that it would “continue to abide by its commitments”. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said that he was “deeply concerned” by the US decision, and urged all parties to “show maximum restraint”.
The US withdrawal from the deal has raised fears of a new arms race in the Middle East, as well as the possibility of a military confrontation between the US and Iran. It has also caused economic uncertainty, as companies that had invested in Iran under the deal may now be subject to US sanctions.
The US decision has been widely condemned by the international community, and many have called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The European Union has said that it will work to “preserve the nuclear deal”, and has urged Iran to continue to comply with its commitments under the agreement.
The future of the deal is uncertain, and it remains to be seen how the US withdrawal will affect the region. In the meantime, the international community must continue to work together to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
