Gabriel: Trump's no to Iran deal could push EU to Russia
Germany's top diplomat Sigmar Gabriel has warned that Donald Trump's potential move to "de-certify" Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal could have a profound effect on the international landscape.
According to Deutsche Welle, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Thursday said that any move by US President Donald Trump's administration to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal would drive a wedge between Europe and the US.
"It's imperative that Europe sticks together on this issue," Gabriel told Germany's RND newspaper group. "We also have to tell the Americans that their behavior on the Iran issue will drive us Europeans into a common position with Russia and China against the USA."
Despite countless warnings from global leaders and even from within his own administration, Trump is expected on Friday to unveil a new strategy on confronting Iran, which would include "de-certifying" Iran's compliance to the nuclear accord.
The deal, which was reached in 2015 between Iran and international powers, saw international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program lifted in exchange for Tehran dismantling its nuclear program.
"The big drama is that the Iran agreement could turn out to be a pawn in American domestic politics," Gabriel said. Washington wants the agreement to ensure that Iran ceases to fuel conflicts such as in Syria, Iraq, or Yemen. But Gabriel said this could not be a condition for Iran to remain free of nuclear weapons.
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