Bobby Ghosh, Columnist

Iran’s Staged Pullout From the Nuclear Deal Will Backfire

It will unite rather than divide the U.S. and Europe.

May 9, 2019 at 4:00 AM UTC

Bobby Ghosh is a senior editor in the digital weekend team. Previously, he was a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion, where he wrote mostly about international affairs and culture.

Get ready for a divorce.
Photographer: Alexander Shcherbak/TASS via Getty Images

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Iran’s threat to pull out of the nuclear deal—in phases, rather than in a fell swoop—will likely have the opposite effect from the one the regime intends. Rather than driving a wedge between the U.S. and Europe, it will force them together.

The Islamic Republic says it will remain partially in compliance with the 2015 deal for another two months, while giving the European signatories a final chance to fulfill their commitments to facilitate the restoration of trade and investment links. After that, like some sinister Salome, it will gradually shed its obligations, performing a dance of seven veiled threats.