Biden: Trump’s Decisions Raise Mideast War Risk

Former vice president of the United States and Democratic presidential contender, Joe Biden, criticized the incumbent president Donald Trump’s policies for increasing the risks of conflict in the Middle East. 
“One thing is unmistakably clear: Donald Trump’s policy decisions have increased the risk of war in the Middle East,” he said in a recent statement on Trump’s recent veto of the US Congress war powers resolution, Medium.com reported.  
The legislation, passed by both houses of congress, would have limited a president’s ability to wage war against Iran, but Trump cast his veto right away, describing it as “very insulting” and part of the Democrats’ strategy to win the upcoming presidential election by dividing the Republican Party. 
Biden censured Trump’s exit from the 2015 nuclear deal, saying it has given Iran more freedom on its nuclear activity that the West claim is dangerous. 
“A deal … was verifiably blocking Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons … Instead, Iran has ramped up its nuclear enrichment activity, moving them closer to the capacity to develop a nuclear bomb,” he alleged. 
Trump said at the time of withdrawal that the deal was “defective” and started his “maximum pressure” campaign, hoping it would force Iranian leaders to agree to new terms under a more comprehensive agreement. 

Unfulfilled Promise 

“Back then, he promised us a better deal. He hasn’t delivered,” Biden said. 
Under the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, although it emphatically denies any intention to develop nuclear weapons, saying it is against domestic laws and that the enrichment is for peaceful purposes. 
A year after the US exit, however, it scaled back its commitments when the remaining parties failed to make up for the economic damage of the sanctions and it remained deprived of the benefits promised by the deal. 
Nevertheless, Iranian leaders have declared that all steps away from JCPOA are immediately reversible when the country can enjoy those benefits once again. 
Biden also claimed Iran is now posing a bigger danger to American forces stationed in the Middle East, thanks to Trump’s policies. 
In early January, Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian top commander, Major General Qasem Soleimani, in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, bringing the two countries to the verge of an actual war. 
Iran responded by targeting American locations in Iraq with missiles and causing brain injuries to more than a hundred US soldiers.