Former Secretary of State John Kerry criticized former President Trump for withdrawing the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal six years ago, saying it made Americans less safe.
Kerry stated that when Donald Trump declined the requests of our closest allies and removed the United States from the JCPOA, it made the region more dangerous, strengthened Iran, and isolated the United States instead of isolating Tehran.
Kerry added that even Republicans who were against the original agreement had urged the Trump White House to stay in the agreement to keep leverage over Iran, but instead Trump chose chaos. This decision made the world more dangerous and Americans less safe.
Kerry, who supervised the finalization of the Iran agreement in 2015 as secretary of State, argued in his statement that the deal was effective and that Trump’s choice to withdraw caused Iran to become more aggressive.
Kerry expressed concerns about Trump's return as a presidential candidate, stating that he threatened to once again act alone, undermine global leadership, and isolate the U.S. from its allies. Kerry emphasized the importance of stability over having a chaotic figure back in the White House.
Kerry left his role as President Biden’s special envoy on climate in February and is now assisting with Biden’s reelection campaign.
On May 8, 2018, Trump announced that he was pulling the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal, going against European allies and fulfilling a major campaign promise to end what he had referred to as “one of the most incompetent” deals ever made. “It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will,” Trump said at the time. The deal provided Tehran billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for accepting limits on its nuclear program. European allies had lobbied Trump to stay in the agreement.
Around the same time he announced he was pulling out of the Iran deal, Trump accused Kerry of
engaging in “shadow diplomacy” by meeting with Iranian officials to discuss protecting the agreement.
Iran has been the focus of recent unrest in the Middle East following Hamas’s attacks in Israel last October, which sparked the current conflict in Gaza. Israel and Iran have also exchanged attacks in recent weeks, raising fears of a broader conflict in the region. Following Iran’s attacks against Israel, the Biden administration imposed sanctions last month on leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone program. The Biden administration has aimed to avoid broader conflict with Iran, but officials have acknowledged that the White House is not seeking to revive the Obama-era nuclear deal. “We would prefer to solve Iranian nuclear weapons progress through diplomacy,” said spokesperson John Kirby last month. He mentioned that it's not possible right now because the Iranians were not negotiating sincerely.
Trump’s exit from the Iran deal was one of his prominent foreign policy moves while in the White House.
The former president has repeatedly stated in recent months that the conflict between Israel and Hamas would not have started if he were in office due to the severe sanctions his administration imposed on Iran. losing the public relations battle and should finish the job.
Trump’s aides have also argued that Biden is responsible for unrest in the Middle East.
“[Biden] enabled Iran, which led to the war in Israel,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a statement this week. She also asserted that Biden's weakness and failure are causing chaos both domestically and internationally. She expressed confidence that President Trump will prioritize restoring peace through strength abroad and enforcing law and order at home from day one.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry criticized former President Trump for withdrawing the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal six years ago, stating that the move made Americans “less safe.” Kerry highlighted that Trump's refusal to heed the appeals of allies and withdrawal from the JCPOA created…
The former president has repeatedly claimed in recent months that the war between Israel and Hamas would have never started if he were in office because of the intense sanctions his administration placed on Iran. Trump has not offered much substance on how he would handle the war between Israel and Hamas, however, beyond saying Israel is losing the public relations battle and should finish the job.
Trump’s aides have similarly argued Biden is to blame for unrest in the Middle East.
“[Biden] enabled Iran, which led to the war in Israel,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement this week. “Joe Biden weakness and failure is why chaos is breaking out across our country and all over the world. Americans can rest secure in the fact that on day one, President Trump will restore peace through strength abroad, and demand law and order at home.”
