Former President Barack Obama has been reticent to criticize his successor as he systematically dismantles every every hard-achieved accomplishment of the Obama administration. Tuesday's announcement from the current occupier of the Oval Office, Donald Trump, that he is withdrawing from the Iran deal prompted the end of Obama's silence. In a statement Tuesday, Obama called the decision a "serious mistake."
"I believe that the decision to put the JCPOA at risk without any Iranian violation of the deal is a serious mistake," Obama wrote. "The reality is clear," he says. "The JCPOA is working—that is a view shared by our European allies, independent experts, and the current U.S. Secretary of Defense."
The JCPOA is in America's interest—it has significantly rolled back Iran's nuclear program. And the JCPOA is a model for what diplomacy can accomplish – its inspections and verification regime is precisely what the United States should be working to put in place with North Korea. Indeed, at a time when we are all rooting for diplomacy with North Korea to succeed, walking away from the JCPOA risks losing a deal that accomplishes—with Iran—the very outcome that we are pursuing with the North Koreans.
That is why today's announcement is so 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. 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.
Debates in our country should be informed by facts, especially debates that have proven to be divisive. […]
In a dangerous world, America must be able to rely in part on strong, principled diplomacy to secure our country. We have been safer in the years since we achieved the JCPOA, thanks in part to the work of our diplomats, many members of Congress, and our allies. Going forward, I hope that Americans continue to speak out in support of the kind of strong, principled, fact-based, and unifying leadership that can best secure our country and uphold our responsibilities around the globe.
A joint statement by European leaders UK Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron echoed Obama's "regret and concern," but they reiterate they are still in the agreement. "Together, we emphasise our continuing commitment to the JCPoA," the statement reads. "This agreement remains important for our shared security." They point out that the agreement "was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council in resolution 2231," and that it "remains the binding international legal framework for the resolution of the dispute about the Iranian nuclear programme."