President Donald Trump of the United States of America has predictably pulled out of the Iran Nuclear deal which was put together by the U.S. and France, UK, Germany and Russia otherwise known as 5+1. The deal which was painstakingly packaged after more than ten years of intense negotiations with Iran was described by international analysts as a landmark achievement by the western powers, aimed at controlling and limiting the nuclear capability of Iran as an emerging nuclear power.
However, in a dramatic twist to the highly controversial Iran nuclear accord, President Trump in a recent television press statement at the White House formally announced the long anticipated withdrawal of the U.S. from the Iran Nuclear deal which the U.S. had played a pivotal role in its formation. In his characteristic rash and blunt manner, President Trump instantaneously abrogated the Iran accord which he described as totally defective and against the U.S. national interest despite the last minute diplomatic pressures by the U.S. European allies notably France, UK and Germany who were also signatories to the historic agreement. President Trump had equally described the Iran deal as the worst deal ever entered into by the U.S. but failed to propose a viable alternative or the so-called “plan B” to the current accord.
It is a matter of deep regret that President Trump’s latest action indeed amounted to “throwing out the baby with bath water”. A common saying that “a bad deal is certainly better than no deal” is very apt in the context of the present highly unpredictable and fluid situation in the world as a result of the U.S. rather irrational action.
It must be noted, however, that President Trump had never hidden his disenchantment and utter disdain for the deal which he made a major campaign issue during the 2016 presidential election.
President Trumph’s rather misguided action could rightly be described as yet another clear demonstration of bad faith and betrayal of international agreements which the U.S. had signed along with her trusted and dependable Western allies.
It will be recalled, however, that the U.S. under Trump’s Presidency had equally pulled out of the Paris Climate Change accord also claiming that the agreement was against the U.S. national interest. The current U.S. stance on the issue of multilateral agreements with her allies had, indeed, placed these nations at terrible awkward situation and uncertainty as to what becomes of the Iran nuclear deal as well as other previous international accords with the U.S. The U.S. seeming abdication of her global leadership role under Trump’s unpredictable presidency had further exposed her Western allies and indeed the entire world to grave danger of insecurity through the U.S. present policy of isolationism and Trump’s “America first” agenda.
To further compound the current situation of uncertainty in global affairs, President Trump had equally threatened to pull out the U.S. from the age long N.A.T.O. alliance which had served as a great deterrent to the growing Russian and Chinese military powers and global influence. Diplomatic observers, however, were of the opinion that the world would continue to be at a great risk should a major nuclear power such as the U.S. would suddenly abandon an international agreement that guaranteed world peace based on the effective control of the proliferation of nuclear weapons by certain powerful nations.
It is heartwarming and a positive development, therefore, that the Iranian leadership in its swift and mature response to the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal had re-committed itself to the full implementation of the deal and also called on other signatories namely; France, UK, Germany and Russia to continue to have faith and commitment to the deal which is the best guarantee for peaceful and harmonious co-existence among nations of the world.
In a similar vein, it was also a cheering news that the western nations who were signatories to the deal had equally committed themselves to the full implementation of the accord which is obviously the antidote to the prospect of a devastating nuclear war that could result in the total extermination of the human race.
President Trump in his earlier quoted press statement on the Iran deal imbroglio had issued a veiled threat to the U.S. European allies to the effect that the U.S. would immediately sanction any nation that might be tempted to strike a trade deal with Iran. President Trump’s threat apparently was intended as a warning to the European nations that any trade deal with Iran would be construed or tantamount to helping her to continue in her development of nuclear weapons or capability. Obviously, President Trump’s unguarded utterances were clearly intended to blackmail his European allies who might like to take advantage of the lifting of sanctions against Iran to resume trade ties with the Islamic Republic.
International analysts seem unable to provide an immediate answer to the riddle on how President Trump could single handedly abrogate international agreements or treaties duly signed by the U.S. such as the Iran nuclear deal as well as the Paris Climate change accord among others without recourse to the U.S. Congress or the approval of the American people who more than 60% of her citizens strongly supported the deal according to the recent opinion polls conducted in the U.S. The world will continue to watch with keen interest the current bizarre developments from Trump’s White House as he continues to pursue vigorously his “America first” agenda and to the detriment of a peaceful world.
Akabogu writes Enugwu-Ukwu, Anambra State