US President Donald J. Trump’s May 8 announcement that he would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal was broadly consistent with what many observers expected from the administration. However, because the sanctions component proved tougher than most predicted, the full scope of economic and political ramifications remains unknown.
While the United States gears up for the reimposition of broad secondary and narrower primary US sanctions on Iran for its nuclear activity, there will be a wind-down period for ceasing business, allowing for at least some transition time.
This window provides US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with additional time (ninety days) to seek agreements that address Trump’s key concerns with the deal, namely, the sunset clauses, inspections regime, and lack of application to Iran’s ballistic missile program, support for terrorism, and destabilizing activities in the region.
Read the whole piece over at the New Atlanticist.
Image: US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House after signing a proclamation declaring his intention to withdraw the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, May 8, 2018. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo)