WASHINGTON: Retired U.S. military officers, members of Congress and formerU.S. ambassadors were among 52 U.S. national security experts who signed aletter released on Monday urging President Donald Trump’s administrationnot to jeopardize the international nuclear deal with Iran.

Trump faces deadlines related to the deal starting late this week,including deciding whether to reimpose oil sanctions lifted under the 2015agreement. He will make the decision as Iran’s government deals withprotests over economic hardships and corruption.

Signers of the letter, organized by the National Coalition to Prevent anIranian Nuclear Weapon, included Richard Lugar, a former Republicanchairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Paul O‘Neill, whoserved as Treasury secretary under Republican President George W. Bush;Michael Hayden, former director of the National Security Agency and CentralIntelligence Agency, and Admiral Eric Olson, former commander of SpecialForces.

“We support the rights of Iranian citizens to free speech and peacefulprotest and we condemn the use of force against peaceful demonstrations,”the letter said.

“In responding to developments in Iran, now and in the future, the U.S.should be careful not to take any steps that might undermine the JCPOA(nuclear agreement) which remains vital to U.S. national security,” it said.