Five reasons why the Iran nuclear deal has to go

US President Trump declared his intention not to recertify the Iran Nuclear Deal on 13 October 2017. President Trump had already labelled the Iran Deal an “embarrassment” and “the worst deal ever”, so this step was not entirely unexpected. 

Global reactions varied widely, with leaders in Saudi Arabia and Israel celebrating Trump’s announcement, and (all 28) EU foreign ministers warning that “at a time of acute nuclear threat the EU is determined to preserve the Iran Deal as a key pillar of the international non-proliferation architecture."

This Clingendael Alert argues that the EU would be best served by using the momentum created by President Trump’s decision and considering reimposing sanctions on Iran, even if this means that the Iran Deal will be scrapped, identifying five reasons why it is incumbent upon the EU to change its policy course on Iran.