Donald Trump is now planning to “decertify” the hard-fought nuclear deal with Iran, according to new reporting which cites four sources.
NBC News reports that Trump will put the responsibility of saving the deal on the Republican-controlled Congress.
The report from NBC News:
President Trump is leaning toward decertifying the Iran nuclear deal and putting the decision of whether the U.S. will withdraw from the accord in the hands of Congress, according to four sources — including one senior administration official — familiar with the White House deliberations.
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Such a move would come prior to an Oct. 15 deadline and would trigger a 60-day window for lawmakers to determine whether to reimpose sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program that were lifted as part of the 2015 agreement. The president’s goal during that time is to prod America’s European allies, who are part of the nuclear deal, to agree to renegotiate some provisions, and pressure Iran back into talks.
Still, several of the sources caution the president could change his mind over the next three weeks as he faces pushback from allies internationally.
Trump’s possible decision to pull out of the deal is bad enough in its own right. The historic deal finally blocked off Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon and gave the United States unprecedented oversight of any potential Iranian nuclear activity.
This goes without mentioning the fact that Iran has actually complied with the deal. In fact, the State Department has twice certified Iran’s compliance since Trump took office.
To make matters worse, pulling out of the agreement would potentially create another nuclear crisis on top of the one in North Korea that the president is already mismanaging through his reckless bluster.
On an international scale, pulling out of the deal would damage American credibility and raise even more questions among our allies – particularly the five other countries who signed onto the accord – about whether the United States is good for any of its commitments in the era of Donald Trump.
Ultimately, Trump’s reckless determination to tear up the legacy of his far superior predecessor – Barack Obama – may make him feel better, but it’s putting actual lives at risk.
While this dangerous president attempts to decertify an important nuclear accord with Iran, many Americans are likely wondering if there’s a way to decertify his presidency before it’s too late.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
