Arab states in range of Iran's missiles cheer Trump's move in killing Obama's bad Iran deal

Jerusalem Post:
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from a nuclear agreement with Iran after years of warning that it gave their arch-rival cover to expand its regional influence.

The quick embrace of Trump's announcement on Tuesday reflects a sense of vindication by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have pushed Washington to take seriously Tehran's ballistic missile program and support for militant groups - security threats they regard as existential.

Ordinary Saudis rejoiced at the announcement, tweeting photos of Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with comments like "We prevailed", "Game over", and "Action, not words".

"No deal could ever be struck with the devil, and Saudi Arabia fully supports President Trump's decision ... Together we prevail," one tweet read.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has been at loggerheads with Shi'ite Iran for decades, fighting a long-running proxy war in the Middle East and beyond, including armed conflicts and political crises in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

The 2015 nuclear deal, known by its acronym, JCPOA, eased sanctions in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program to prevent it from being able to make an atomic bomb.

Trump, echoing Riyadh and Abu Dhabi's stance, has frequently criticised the accord because it does not address Iran’s ballistic missile program, its nuclear activities beyond 2025, or its role in regional wars.

Gulf Arab states were concerned that the deal was negotiated by countries outside the range of Iran's ballistic missiles.

"Iran used economic gains from the lifting of sanctions to continue its activities to destabilise the region, particularly by developing ballistic missiles and supporting terrorist groups in the region," the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.

It backed Trump's move to reimpose sanctions and urged the international community to work towards a "comprehensive view that is not limited to its nuclear programme but also includes all hostile activities".
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There is more.

One of the fatal flaws in the Obama deal was ignoring the lack of support for it in Congress and by Iran's neighbors.   It had little support in the US despite an "echo chamber" misinformation campaign by Obama and his cohorts in the liberal media.  Obama always thought he was not only the smartest guy in the room, but in the world and therefore whatever he decided would be good for everyone.  He was wrong about that.

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