How did world public opinion react when the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal?

US President Donald Trump announced his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran in the early morning of May 9, Vietnam time.

The unilateral decision of the US has the potential to push the Middle East region into a new spiral of tension when Iran threatens to resume its nuclear program. Public opinion in the US and the international community has had reactions to this decision.

Immediately after Donald Trump's announcement, former US President Barack Obama and his deputy Joe Biden - who signed the nuclear deal with Iran and the other five powers - called it a "serious mistake" that damaged America's reputation in the international arena.

According to former US Vice President Joe Biden, the US will be isolated, the American people in the region will be in a "confrontational" position with Iran; meanwhile, the international community will sympathize more with Iran instead of condemning the country's increasing influence in the region. Mr. Joe Biden commented that a new agreement with Iran is "illusory" because the international community has spent many years negotiating to reach such an agreement.

Many US Democratic Congressmen also expressed “disappointment” about the decision of the head of the country. They said it would be a mistake for the US to withdraw from the agreement without providing evidence of Iran’s violation of the agreement as well as Washington’s lack of a detailed plan for a better alternative.

On the side of US allies in Europe; Britain, France and Germany remain committed to continuing to implement the nuclear deal with Iran. On Twitter, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “European countries will cooperate collectively in a broader framework to control Iran’s nuclear activities, the period after 2025, Iran’s ballistic missile program and stability in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Yemen.”

The European Union (EU) expressed its “disappointment” with the unilateral policy of the United States, and affirmed that as long as Iran complies with the agreement, the European Union will remain in the agreement. That was also the call of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, made immediately after the US President's statement.

“The Secretary-General has always maintained that the Iran nuclear deal represents a major achievement in nuclear non-proliferation and diplomacy. It has brought peace to the region and the world. It is important that all concerns related to the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal be addressed within the terms of the agreement. Issues not directly related to the Iran nuclear deal should be addressed without jeopardizing the preservation of the agreement and its implementation,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General.

The US’s Asian allies such as Japan and Australia have given their first reactions. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono affirmed that he will continue to dialogue with relevant parties to maintain the agreement as well as closely monitor the impacts of the latest decision of the US administration. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull expressed “regret” about the US’s anticipated decision, while also calling on the remaining parties to the agreement to maintain the implementation of their commitments.

“We regret the US decision, although this possibility was announced by President Donald Trump a long time ago. We urge all parties to continue to abide by the agreement and we will do everything we can to support it,” Mr Turnbull said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also issued a “firm” statement against the US President’s unilateral decision. The Russian Foreign Ministry affirmed that the Iran nuclear deal is a multilateral agreement, approved by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 2231 in 2015. The action plan under the agreement is an achievement of the entire international community to help strengthen regional and international security, peace, as well as the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The Russian side believes that the United States has once again acted contrary to the views of the majority of countries in the world. For the sake of “opportunistic and narrow-minded” interests, Washington has violated the norms of international law. The Russian Foreign Ministry is open to working with the parties to the Iran nuclear deal and will continue to actively develop bilateral relations and political dialogue with the Middle Eastern country.

In the Middle East, Iran's ally Syria has also reacted to the incident. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that President Donald Trump's decision was an act that increased tensions in the region.

Among the few countries that supported the US decision, two of Washington's allies and Tehran's "rivals" in the Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia, immediately responded. Saudi Arabia announced that it would work with the US and the international community to address Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as its influence in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the US decision to withdraw from the Iran deal a "historic" step to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Despite efforts from European allies to hold on, the US has made a final decision, bringing the Iran nuclear issue back to the starting line as the Middle Eastern country warned of the possibility of resuming its nuclear programs if sanctioned. The remaining parties except the US have so far committed to complying with the nuclear deal for as long as possible./.