Trump to invoke snapback of UN's Iran sanctions

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to inform the UN Security Council that the US intends to "snap back" international sanctions on Iran lifted as part of a 2015 nuclear deal.

Trump said the action is "a snap back, not all uncommon," even as it has been met with stiff opposition from key Security Council members.

The US president decided in 2018 to unilaterally exit Washington from the multilateral nuclear accord, which was largely led by his predecessor, Barack Obama. In so doing, Trump ignored the objections from all of the pact's other participants who question the US's standing to invoke snapback, as it is no longer a party to the accord.

Trump continued to rail against the agreement, saying it "funneled tens of billions of dollars to Iran," repeating his assertion that it is a "total disaster."