IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL: Germany warns of war as Clinton berates Trump over policy shift

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has warned of a likely nuclear war after a policy shift by the US which saw President Donald Trump refusing to formally certify that Tehran was complying with the 2015 accord even though international inspectors say it is.

Gabriel while speaking to Deutschlandfunk radio said Trump had sent a “difficult and dangerous signal” when the U.S. administration was also dealing with the North Korea nuclear crisis.

“My big concern is that what is happening in Iran or with Iran from the U.S. perspective will not remain an Iranian issue but many others in the world will consider whether they themselves should acquire nuclear weapons too given that such agreements are being destroyed,” Gabriel said.

“And then our children and grandchildren will grow up in a very dangerous world,” he said.

Read also: Global powers stand by Iran nuclear deal despite Trump’s policy shift

Meanwhile, former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has berated Trump for threatening to pull out of the Iran nuclear accord. She says it is “dangerous,” and she suggests her former campaign opponent is undermining the validity of the United States’ promises to other nations.

In an interview with CNN, Clinton said Trump’s insistence on de-certifying the deal, even though evidence has pointed to Iranian compliance, “makes us look foolish and small and plays right into Iranian hands.”

“That is bad not just on the merits for this particular situation, but it sends a message across the globe that America’s word is not good,” said Clinton, who spoke in advance of Trump’s announcement two days later. “We have different presidents, and this particular president is, I think, upending the kind of trust and credibility of the United States’ position and negotiation that is imperative to maintain.”

Despite Trump’s stance, a host of world powers such as UK, France and Germany all say they will stand by the Iran nuclear deal despite a policy shift by the US.

Reports say the three countries responded that the pact was “in our shared national security interest”. The EU said it was “not up to any single country to terminate” a “working” deal.

 

 

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