WASHINGTON – Former US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday thatPresident Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal,struck during Obama’s presidency, was “misguided.”
“I believe that the decision to put the JCPOA at risk without any Iranianviolation of the deal is a serious mistake,” Obama said in a statement,referring to the acronym for the agreement worked out by the United States,five other world powers and Iran.
Since leaving office in January 2017, Obama, a Democrat, has largelyremained on the sidelines of the political debate, although he hascriticised his Republican successor’s efforts to undo some of his majorpolicy achievements.
He has condemned Trump for pulling out of the Paris climate accord and forending a program that shielded from deportation immigrants brought to theUnited States illegally as children. He also spoke out against Trump’seffort to unravel the Obamacare healthcare program.
Obama said the Iran agreement significantly rolled back Tehran’s nuclearprogram and was a model for a possible deal Trump hopes to negotiate withNorth Korea to eliminate Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons.
“That is why today’s announcement is so misguided,” Obama said.”Walkingaway from the JCPOA turns our back on America’s closest allies, and anagreement that our country’s leading diplomats, scientists, andintelligence professionals negotiated,” he said.