Washington: US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal prompted furious reaction in Tehran, regret in Europe and cheers from Israel and Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, Trump said he was reimposing economic sanctions on Iran and pulling the United States out of an international agreement aimed at stopping Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
The decision is likely to raise the risk of conflict in the Middle East, upset America's European allies and disrupt global oil supplies. "I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal," Trump said at the White House. "In a few moments, I will sign a presidential memorandum to begin reinstating US nuclear sanctions on the Iranian regime. We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanctions."
The 2015 deal, worked out by the United States, five other international powers and Iran, eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program.
Trump says the agreement, the signature foreign policy achievement of Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, does not address Iran's ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 nor its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.
Iran has ruled out renegotiating the agreement and threatened to retaliate, although it has not said exactly how, if Washington pulled out.
The following is a selection of reactions from around the globe to Trump's biggest foreign policy move since taking office:
"This decision was an act of psychological warfare against Iran," said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
"I have instructed the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization to take the necessary measures for future actions so that, if necessary, we can resume industrial enrichment without limit," added Rouhani.
"Stay true to your commitments as we will stay true to ours and together with the rest of the international community, we will preserve this nuclear deal," said European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini.
"France, Germany and the UK regret the US decision to leave the JCPOA. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake. We will work collectively on a broader framework, covering nuclear activity, the post-2025 period, ballistic activity and stability in the Middle East, notably Syria, Yemen and Iraq," said French President Emmanuel Macron, on Twitter, referring to the Iran deal by its formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Moscow is "deeply disappointed by the decision of US President Donald Trump to unilaterally refuse to carry out commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," said Russia's foreign ministry.
"The unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear deal is a decision that will cause instability and new conflicts," said Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Twitter.
Damascus "strongly condemns the US president's decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, which shows once again that the United States is not honouring its commitments and international agreements," said Syrian foreign ministry source quoted by the official SANA news agency.
"I call on other JCPOA participants to abide fully by their respective commitments under the JCPOA and on all other member-states to support this agreement," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"Israel fully supports President Trump's bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear deal with the terrorist regime in Tehran," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The kingdom supports and welcomes the steps announced by the US president toward withdrawing from the nuclear deal... and reinstating economic sanctions against Iran," said Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry.
"The reality is clear. The JCPOA is working... That is why today's announcement is so misguided... I believe that the decision to put the JCPOA at risk without any Iranian violation of the deal is a serious mistake," said former US president Barack Obama, whose administration brokered the 2015 deal.
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