Obama denounces Trump's withdrawal from the Iran deal

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Former President Barack Obama criticized President Trump's Tuesday decision to withdraw from the Iran deal, publishing a Facebook post that defended the agreement's efficacy.

The Obama administration negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, along with five other world powers in 2015. The deal lessened economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran's commitment to curbing its nuclear program and was a major portion of Obama's foreign policy legacy. In dismantling the deal, Obama argued, Trump sent the wrong message to Iran and to America's allies.

"I believe that the decision to put the JCPOA at risk without any Iranian violation of the deal is a serious mistake," wrote Obama. The former president, who rarely chimes in on his successor's choices, outlined several reasons why Trump's move was "misguided." The U.S. made a commitment to the other nations in the deal as well, not just Iran, argued Obama, and all of those countries have been continually verifying Iran's compliance in the deal. He additionally wrote that the deal has been effective in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and said there is "little reason" to risk lifting the restrictions that have kept its nuclear program at bay.

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"In a democracy, there will always be changes in policies and priorities from one administration to the next," said Obama. "But the consistent flouting of agreements that our country is a party to risks eroding America's credibility, and puts us at odds with the world's major powers." Read Obama's full post on Facebook.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.