Trump Withdraws US From Landmark Iran Nuclear Deal

WASHINGTON (CBS News) -- President Trump on Tuesday announced the decision to "withdraw" from the Iran nuclear deal, keeping a longtime campaign promise, claiming there is evidence Iran is not in compliance with the deal and the agreement will allow the Iranian regime to amass nuclear weapons.

"In just a short period of time, the world's leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons," Mr. Trump said from the White House's Diplomatic Room. "Therefore, I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal."

That means the U.S. will not renew sanctions waiver and will no longer participate in the Iran nuclear deal, CBS News' Ed O'Keefe and Rebecca Kaplan have reported. The sanctions the U.S. waived because of the accord will be reinstated.

According to the U.S. Treasury, its Office of Foreign Assets control is taking action immediately to implement Mr. Trump's decision. Sanctions will have 90-day and 180-day wind-down periods, at the end of which relevant, previous sanctions will come back in place.

Most Americans don't know what U.S. should do on Iran deal -- CBS News poll

U.S. intelligence has verified that the deal has been an effective arms control deal that has kept Iran's nuclear program frozen for three years, CBS News "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan has noted. Mr. Trump is delivering on another campaign promise, says Brennan, but one which is arguably far more consequential than any other deal he's torn up.

In a Facebook post, Former President Barack Obama said the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is working and called President Trump's action "misguided."

"Walking away from the JCPOA turns our back on America's closest allies, and an agreement that our country's leading diplomats, scientists, and intelligence professionals negotiated," said Obama. "In a democracy, there will always be changes in policies and priorities from one Administration to the next. But the consistent flouting of agreements that our country is a party to risks eroding America's credibility, and puts us at odds with the world's major powers."

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement after the president's announcement: "Experts and our allies all agree that this landmark agreement has been successful in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and even senior Trump Administration officials have confirmed that Iran has remained in compliance with the agreement. Yet, the President has chosen to utterly ignore that reality."

Pelos said the decision isolates the U.S. and not the Iranian regime. "Our allies will hold up their end of the agreement, but our government will lose its international credibility and the power of our voice at the table," said Pelosi.

The United Kingdom, France and Germany were all unable to persuade the Trump administration to broker a side deal that would satisfy the U.S. enough to keep it a party to the 2015 agreement. Shortly before the president was to announce his decision, the leaders of those countries, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were on a call to discuss their response to Mr. Trump's announcement, CBS News; Kylie Atwood reports, citing European diplomatic sources. The response from the international community was swift.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that France, Germany and the U.K. "regret" Mr. Trump's' decision, saying the "nuclear nonproliferation regime is at stake."

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump insisted America would not be held "hostage" by such a deal.

"America will not be held hostage to nuclear blackmail," the president said. "We will not allow American cities to be threatened with destruction and we will not allow a regime that chants 'death to America' to gain access to the most deadly weapons on Earth."

Mr. Trump spent much of the 2016 campaign and early days of his presidency slamming the 2015 nuclear pact as "a mess" and "badly negotiated." That sentiment did well with his supporters.

Trump says U.S. will "withdraw" from Iran deal

Mr. Trump, after laying out his case for withdrawing from the deal, made the announcement official: The U.S. will "withdraw" from the 2015 agreement, Mr. Trump said.

"In just a short period of time, the world's leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons," the president said. "Therefore, I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal."

Trump says it is "clear" Iran nuclear bomb cannot be prevented under current deal

The president said he has consulted extensively with U.S. allies.

"The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen."

Trump cites "definitive" proof Iran violated the deal

Mr. Trump, citing Israeli intelligence he said was published last week, claimed there is "definitive" proof Iran violated the deal. He didn't detail those claims extensively.

Trump blasts the 2015 Iran deal

Mr. Trump blasted the 2015 Iran deal forged by the Obama administration and other nation, calling the deal "disastrous" and saying it gave a regime of great terror too much power.

"At the heart of the Iran deal is a giant fiction," the president said -- that a regime wanted a peaceful nuclear program.

Trump denounces Iranian regime

Mr. Trump began his remarks by blasting the Iranian regime, calling it the leading state sponsor of terror.

"The Iranian regime has funded its long reign of chaos and terror by plundering the wealth of its own people," Mr. Trump said.

The details of what the Trump administration is doing

According to congressional aides, Mr. Trump will announce the U.S. will not renew sanctions waivers and will no longer participate in JCPOA, CBS News' Ed O'Keefe and Rebecca Kaplan report.

One sources tells CBS News that Senior administration officials have begun informing Congressional leaders of their intent to remove the U.S from the JCPOA and reimpose sanctions.

Another source signaled that there would be a 90 day and 180 day wind downs on various aspects of the Iran deal.