US withdrawal from JCPOA , 'height of folly': Ex-US advisor

Susan Rice, Former National Security Advisor to Former US President Barack Obama firmly defended the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran on Saturday, and said that pulling out of the deal would be 'the height of folly — and incredibly self-destructive', The Texas Tribune reported.

'The deal is strong, it is working, it serves our interest,' she said in Austin. 'It makes no sense to cast it aside.'

'The Iran deal was agreed to during Rice's time as national security advisor. It was also signed by Germany, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized it and threatened to pull out. He recently said he has made a decision about what to do with the deal, but hasn't said what that decision is,' she added.

'Rice was explicit on what throwing out the deal would mean: International inspections of Iran would end, she said, but economic pressure on Iran would not ramp back up since the other countries in the agreement want to stay in the deal. Meanwhile, the United States would become more isolated by going against the wishes of its allies.'

'She criticized Trump's recent speech to the United Nations, saying he focused on 'America First' ideas and national sovereignty, but only for select countries and not 'anybody with which we have a beef.'

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