Trump's geopolitical mistake

Addressing the public on May 8 at the White House, President Trump put an end to the speculation about whether he would remove the U.S. from the Iran nuclear agreement. In Trump’s mind, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was so poorly negotiated that Washington had no option but to move on and start from scratch.

The U.S. not only moved on from the deal, but committed itself to reimposing the very economic sanctions that were lifted in the JCPOA. With the first wave of renewed U.S. sanctions re-enacted on Aug. 6, Washington is hoping that the Iranian government’s finances will face such calamity that its leaders have to come back to the negotiating table.