Sir — US President Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally pull the US out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran “very shortly” despite Tehran fulfilling all its commitments represents a major setback in the diplomatic process initiated by his illustrious predecessor Barack Obama.
Trump described the landmark deal negotiated and signed during Obama’s presidency as “horrible and one-sided and defective at its core” and called it a “great embarrassment” to the US. But he did not elaborate on the whys and wherefores.
Trump’s decision, not quite unexpected, may have pleased his domestic electoral base as well as the hardliners in Iran, but it cost the US’s trustworthiness. The ‘full support’ to his decision by Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE and the plea of other signatories of the deal — UK, France, Germany, Russia and China — to not obstruct the implementation of the deal showed the geopolitical dimension of the US’ withdrawal from the deal.
It will be fair to ask what good will the backing out from the deal serve when nuclear disarmament is a lofty goal to work towards and attain. It is to be hoped that other world powers will keep the deal going and counsel the US to avoid a military confrontation with Iran.