The European powers have consistently shared former President Barack Obama’s unfounded optimism when it comes to the flawed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed by Iran, the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and the EU in June 2015.

Obama himself, upon signing the agreement, announced with astounding confidence: “We have stopped the spread of nuclear weapons in this region.” Frederica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy representative, echoed his statement, saying, “We delivered on what the world was hoping for: a shared commitment to peace and to join hands in order to make our world safer.”