Withdraws U.S. from Iran nuclear deal, calling it "defective at its core"

Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran. He called the multilateral agreement "defective at its core" and a "horrible, one-sided deal," despite confirmation from international inspectors and his own intelligence chiefs that Iran was complying with its terms. The move isolated the U.S. from European allies and escalated tensions in the Middle East.

"It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement." — White House announcement, May 8, 2018