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Merkel At White House: Nuclear Deal Not Sufficient To Prevent Iran From Obtaining Bomb

In another clear sign that European powers are growing concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump will nix the Iran nuclear deal, German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the accord as insufficient to “curb and contain” Tehran’s atomic ambitions. Following a meeting at the White House, the German leader, in an apparent about-face, described the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the atomic agreement is formally known, as only “a first step” in the process of preventing Tehran from obtaining the bomb. Chancellor Merkel’s comments came one week after she told Israel’s Channel 10 that an imperfect accord was better than none at all; and days after French President Emmanuel Macron stated during his own visit to Washington that he was willing to work with his American counterpart “on a new deal with Iran.” President Trump has for months been lobbying European powers to devise a follow-on pact to eliminate the JCPOA’s so-called “sunset clauses—which remove limitations on Iran’s ability to enrich uranium in just over a decade—as well as to curb the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program and involvement in fomenting unrest in the Middle East. According to reports, France, Britain and Germany are finalizing a proposal to present to President Trump in a last-ditch effort to persuade him not to ditch the atomic agreement.