Trump reimposes Iran sanctions, draws ire from European leaders
President Trump has reimposed harsh sanctions lifted under the Iran nuclear deal. The European Union already wants to tear them apart.
In a Monday executive order, Trump followed through with his May plan to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and reinstate sanctions on the country, levying charges on precious metals, Iran's automotive sector, and other targets. Minutes later, European leaders released a statement jointly slamming the decision.
Iran was previously relieved from those sanctions under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in exchange for curbing its nuclear production capabilities. The JCPOA, commonly known as the Iran deal, was created with other major world powers, but the U.S. was thought to be strongest force holding it together. Trump has been a constant critic of the deal, and continued to slam it as "defective at its core" in his Monday executive order.
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European leaders tried to convince Trump not to leave the deal earlier this year, and promptly slammed Trump's decision to withdraw in May. German, French, U.K., and EU foreign ministers united again Monday, releasing a joint statement saying they "deeply regret" Trump's reimposition of sanctions. In it, the leaders agree that "the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the deal" and will intensify their efforts to preserve it even without U.S. involvement.
Read the full text of Trump's executive order below. Kathryn Krawczyk
