WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was reimposingeconomic sanctions on Iran and pulling the United States out of aninternational agreement aimed at stopping Tehran from obtaining a nuclearbomb.

“I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Irannuclear deal,” Trump said at the White House. “In a few moments, I willsign a presidential memorandum to begin reinstating U.S. nuclear sanctionson the Iranian regime. We will be instituting the highest level of economicsanctions.”

The 2015 deal, worked out by the United States, five other internationalpowers and Iran, eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limitingits nuclear program.

Trump says the agreement, the signature foreign policy achievement ofTrump’s predecessor Barack Obama, does not address Iran’s ballistic missileprogram, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 nor its role in conflicts inYemen and Syria.

Iran has ruled out renegotiating the agreement and threatened to retaliate,although it has not said exactly how, if Washington pulled out.