This January, President Donald Trump issued a warning to France, Germany, the U.K., and every other party that negotiated the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal. If the weaknesses of the deal are not fixed by May 12 of this year, Trump declared, the economic sanction waivers that granted Tehran economic relief will not be signed again. “And if at any time I judge that such an agreement is not within reach,” the president stated, “I will withdraw from the deal immediately.”
Trump’s warning was amplified on April 30, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a presentation about a trove of intelligence files recently acquired concerning Iran’s nuclear program. Netanyahu, who was supported by visual aids, graphs, and a stack of documents prominently displayed for the cameras, was no doubt trying to capture Trump’s attention about Iran’s chronic duplicity and dishonesty.
Yet it would be diplomatic malpractice to walk away from the JCPOA at this time, writes Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities.
from Hit & Run https://ift.tt/2ravB6I
via IFTTT