World leaders united in “deep regret” at Trump’s Iran move

World leaders have united in expressing their deep regret at Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the historic deal with Iran.

The deal, which allows the country to develop nuclear power and is granted sanctions relief as long as agrees not to develop weapons and submits to regular assessment, was rejected by the US President last night as "decaying, rotten". It was signed by his predecessor President Obama and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, UK, France, China and Russia – as well as Germany.

Overnight Trump's decision was condemned by the leaders of the UK, France and Germany, who said "the world is a safer place as a result" of what was agreed.

Theresa May, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron also committed to ensuring the agreement is upheld, saying in a joint statement that their respective governments would "work with all the remaining parties to the deal to ensure this remains the case including through ensuring the continuing economic benefits to the Iranian people that are linked to the agreement".

Russia said it was "deeply disappointed" by Trump's decision while China expressed regret.

This morning the EU added its voice to that chorus, saying it "deeply regrets" Trump's decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was 12 years in the making.

"The JCPOA, unanimously endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and is crucial for the security of the region," the EU's spokesperson said.

"As long as Iran continues to implement its nuclear related commitments, as it has been doing so far and has been confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 10 consecutive reports, the EU will remain committed to the continued full and effective implementation of the nuclear deal.

"The lifting of nuclear related sanctions is an essential part of the agreement. The EU has repeatedly stressed that the sanctions lifting has a positive impact on trade and economic relations with Iran. The EU stresses its commitment to ensuring that this can continue to be delivered."

Iran has also said it would try to keep the deal on the road, but would restart uranium enrichment if it could not.

President Hassan Rouhani said: "I have ordered the foreign ministry to negotiate with the European countries, China and Russia in the coming weeks.

"If we achieve the deal's goals in co-operation with other members of the deal, it will remain in place."

Iranian parliament erupted into chaos after Trump revealed his decision, with members burning an American flag and the speaker reportedly saying the US President lacked "mental capacity".

But not everyone was disappointed. Iran's major regional rivals, Saudi Arabia and Israel, welcomed the news with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he "fully supports" Mr Trump's withdrawal from a "disastrous" deal.

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CityAM

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