Iran nuclear deal: Nobel Peace Prize winner says Trump is 'igniting new conflict rather than reducing risk of war'

By SHEHAB KHAN

The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Winner has said Donald Trump is “igniting new conflict rather than reducing the risk of nuclear war” after the President’s announcement to withhold certification of the Iran nuclear deal.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican), the 2017 Nobel Peace Laureate, strongly criticised Mr Trump’s decision, who in his speech condemned Iran as a “fanatical regime”.

Speaking out against the move, Beatrice Fihn, the executive director of Ican, said Mr Trump’s move was a reminder of the immense nuclear danger facing the world.

"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a demonstration of how well diplomacy can work, and like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, it reflects the urgent global imperative to eliminate nuclear weapons and the grave threat they pose," Ms Fihn said.

"President Trump’s attempt to disrupt the Iran deal, despite the fact that the IAEA has repeatedly certified that Iran is complying with its terms, is a jarring reminder of the immense nuclear danger now facing the world and the urgent need for all states to prohibit and eliminate these weapons."

"If ever there were a moment for nations to declare their unequivocal opposition to nuclear weapons, that moment is now. There is an urgent need to strengthen existing and develop new norms against the use and possession of nuclear weapons by joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons," she added.

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany say they remain committed to the Iran nuclear deal and are "concerned by the possible implications" of Washington's decision to no longer back it in its current form.

Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel issued a joint statement calling the nuclear deal "the culmination of 13 years of diplomacy".