WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump’s decision on the Iran nuclear deal (all times local): 4:05 p.m. The new U…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump’s decision on the Iran nuclear deal (all times local):
4:05 p.m.
The new U. S. ambassador to Germany is advising German companies to stop doing business in Iran following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal.
In a tweet just hours after he officially took up his duties, Ambassador Richard Grenell noted Tuesday that Trump said American „sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy.“
He added: „German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately.“
Germany has Europe’s biggest economy and is one of the countries that negotiated the 2015 agreement along with fellow European powers France and Britain.
Trump announced earlier Tuesday in Washington that the U. S. would be pulling out of the landmark nuclear deal. The deal lifted most U. S. and international sanctions against Iran, which, in turn, agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program and rigorous inspections.
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4 p.m.
Russia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations says he’s disappointed at the announcement that the U. S. is pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.
Dmitry Polyansky was asked whether the U. S. decision might heighten tensions in the Middle East. He responded with one word to reporters at U. N. headquarters in New York on Tuesday: „Sure.“
Russia is one of the six signatories to the Iran nuclear deal, which has been endorsed by the U. N. Security Council.
Asked whether the council would meet to consider the U. S. announcement, Polyansky said: „All options are on the table.“
President Donald Trump announced earlier Tuesday that the U. S. would be vacating the Iran deal, which he called „a horrible, one-sided deal“ based on a lie.
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3:55 p.m.
U. N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is „deeply disappointed“ at the U. S. decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and calls on the five other signatories „to abide fully“ by their commitments.
The U. N. chief on Tuesday also called on all other U. N. member states to support the 2015 agreement.
Guterres reiterated that the deal „represents a major achievement in nuclear non-proliferation and diplomacy and has contributed to regional and international peace and security.“
He said it’s essential that „all concerns“ about implementing the agreement be addressed through the mechanisms in the deal.
Earlier Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the U. S. would be withdrawing from what he called „a horrible, one-sided deal“ based on a lie. The deal was brokered during President Barack Obama’s administration.
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3:50 p.m.
Former President Barack Obama is calling President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran deal a „serious mistake“ that will erode America’s global credibility.
Obama’s administration brokered the deal. He says Tuesday that Trump’s decision to withdraw is „misguided,“ especially because Iran has been complying.
Obama also warned: „The consistent flouting of agreements that our country is a party to risks eroding America’s credibility, and puts us at odds with the world’s major powers.“
Obama says that without the deal, the U. S. „could eventually be left with a losing choice between a nuclear-armed Iran or another war in the Middle East.“
He says the deal remains a model for what diplomacy can accomplish, including when it comes to North Korea.
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3:35 p.m.
The leaders of Britain, Germany and France are urging the United States to refrain from taking action that prevents other signatories to the Iran nuclear deal from continuing to implement it.
In a joint statement Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced the U. S. withdrawal, British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged Iran to „show restraint“ and continue fulfilling its own obligations such as cooperating with inspection requirements.
They called on Washington to „ensure that the structures of the (deal) can remain intact, and to avoid taking action which obstructs its full implementation by all other parties to the deal.“
Trump has said „any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States.“
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3:20 p.m.
Israel’s prime minister is praising President Donald Trump for withdrawing the U. S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump’s decision Tuesday a „historic move.“ He says leaving the Iran deal unchanged would be „a recipe for disaster, a disaster for our region, a disaster for the peace of the world.“
Netanyahu is a leading critic of the deal, saying it did not contain sufficient safeguards to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear-weapons capability or address Iran’s other activities across the region.
He says Iran’s aggression has grown since the deal, especially in Syria, where he says it is „trying to establish military bases to attack Israel.“
Earlier, Israel’s military said forces were on high alert and ordered bomb shelters open in the Golan Heights after spotting „irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria.“
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3:15 p.m.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is hailing President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from a nuclear accord with Iran.
The Wisconsin Republican said Tuesday that „from the beginning, the Obama-era Iran deal was deeply flawed.“
Ryan says Iran’s hostile actions since the deal was signed have only reaffirmed that it remains dedicated to sowing instability in the Middle East.
Ryan says that he would have preferred to fix the agreement rather than abandon it and that it was „unfortunate that we could not reach an understanding with our European partners“ to do that.
He said Trump is „right to insist that we hold Iran accountable both today and for the long-term,“ adding that he hopes the U. S. will continue to work with allies to address actions by Iran to destabilize the Middle East.
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3:10 p.m.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn says President Donald Trump did the right thing by abandoning the Obama administration’s „bad deal“ with Iran.
The No. 2 Republican in the Senate said Tuesday that „Iran has long thumbed its nose at the international community“ and may have violated what he called a one-sided agreement. He says any new agreement „must prevent Iran from obtaining and employing weapons of mass destruction and be subject to congressional scrutiny.“
In announcing the withdrawal earlier Tuesday, Trump called it a horrible deal based on a lie.
Trump’s decision means Iran’s government must now decide whether to follow the U. S. and withdraw or try to salvage what’s left of the deal.
French President Emmanuel Macron says his country, Britain and Germany all regretted Trump’s decision.
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3:05 p.m.
Iran’s president is saying there’s a „short time“ to negotiate with the countries remaining in the nuclear deal, warning his country could start enriching uranium more than ever in the coming weeks.
President Hassan Rouhani (hah-SAHN‘ roh-HAH‘-nee) made the statement Tuesday immediately after President Donald Trump said he was pulling the U. S. out of the nuclear deal.
Rouhani spoke live on Iranian state television. He says he will be sending Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to countries remaining in the accord.
He says, „I have ordered Iran’s atomic organization that whenever it is needed, we will start enriching uranium more than before.“ He says Iran would start this „in the next weeks.“
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3 p.m.
The French president’s office says France, Britain and Germany „regret“ U. S. President Donald Trump’s decision to leave the Iranian nuclear accord, calling it a threat to global efforts to contain nuclear weapons.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that the „nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake“ because of Trump’s announcement Tuesday.
Macron’s office says the French president spoke Tuesday evening with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May about the Iran accord and next steps after Trump’s decision.
The three European countries negotiated the 2015 deal with the U. S., Russia, China and Iran.
The European powers strongly support the accord as the best way to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Trump says it’s not tough enough on Iran.
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2:55 p.m.
The European Union foreign policy chief says the Iran nuclear agreement is a pillar of international security and she is calling on its signatories to continue to respect it.
The comments by Federica Mogherini came shortly after President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he was withdrawing the U. S. from the pact. Mogherini says, „The nuclear deal with Iran is crucial for the security of the region, of Europe and of the entire world.“
Mogherini helped supervise the implementation of the 2015 accord.
