The Current

'A high-risk, high-reward gamble': What happens next with the Iran nuclear deal?

Reaction to Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran deal has been swift — and mixed. While some experts argue there is now a risk of Iran restarting its nuclear program, others say the move gives the U.S. a strong negotiating position.

Donald Trump's decision to effectively withdraw from deal sparks outcry

The front pages in Tehran reflect U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to reinstate sanctions on Iran, Wednesday May 9, 2018. (Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images)

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U.S. President Donald Trump has thrown the global community into disarray with his decision to reinstate sanctions on Iran, effectively pulling the United States out of the nuclear deal negotiated in 2015.

To discuss what might have been behind the president's decision, and what happens next, The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti spoke to:

  • Laura Holgate, the former U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, who previously served as former president Barack Obama's top advisor on weapons of mass destruction.
  • Derek Stoffel, CBC Middle East correspondent, based in Jerusalem.
  • Behnam Ben Taleblu, research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a foreign policy and national security institute in Washington.

Listen to the full conversation at the top of this page.


This segment was produced by The Current's John Chipman, Julie Crysler and Ines Colabrese.