Former chief of staff to Colin Powell: Trump violated the Iran deal

Former chief of staff to Ret. Gen. Colin Powell, Lawrence Wilkerson, on Tuesday slammed President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. from the multination Iran nuclear deal, saying by doing so the president violated the international agreement.

“I think characterizing the Trump action with regard to Iran … as withdrawal from the agreement leaves a lot to be desired. What we did was violate the agreement. We violated an international agreement achieved with our allies and our erstwhile enemies, China and Russia, plus Germany and the European Union,” Wilkerson told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on “Rising.”

“Violating that agreement has set us up for being the isolated party rather than Iran — as Trump, I think, would wish. That’s a problem. It’s a problem for our relations with our allies and ultimately for our relations with Iran,” he continued.

He also compared Trump’s strategic goals for Iran to North Korea.

“If Trump’s purpose is, as with Kim Jong Un, to through bellicosity and rhetoric, to bring Iran to a negotiating position once again, where he can ‘achieve a better deal,’ I think he’s going to fail, and I think that is a real danger to the United States.”

The Trump administration officially reimposed sanctions on Iran on Tuesday as a result of the U.S.’s withdrawal from the international agreement.

Trump said in an early morning tweet that the sanctions were “the most biting sanctions ever imposed,” and said his only goal in the move is world peace.

The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2018

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reportedly said in an interview before the sanctions were reimposed that he would welcome a dialogue with the U.S. without preconditions.

“If there is sincerity, Iran has always welcomed dialogue and negotiations,” Rouhani said, according to CNN.

— Julia Manchester