Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
The Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. Photo: TASS via Getty Images
News that President Trump has accepted an invitation for the first meeting between a U.S. president and a North Korean leader has provoked a range of reactions, from optimism that North Korea might actually curb its nuclear weapons program to concern that such a meeting will only legitimize its brutal regime. For those working to keep the U.S. in the Iran nuclear deal, however, a Kim-Trump encounter — assuming it comes off — would be encouraging.
- Under the terms of the Iran deal, Trump has until May 12 to renew waivers for nuclear-related sanctions against Iran. Should he fail to do so — which would effectively remove the U.S. from the deal — negotiating a new non-proliferation agreement with North Korea would prove immensely difficult.
- While Iran has said it will stick with the deal as long as Europe, Russia and China do, Tehran would be tempted to push its boundaries in increments — such as testing more advanced centrifuges or increasing its stockpile of low-enriched uranium — if the U.S. pulls out.
- A U.S. decision to withdraw from the Iran deal would thus antagonize an international community whose cooperation Washington needs to maintain — and possibly augment — economic sanctions against North Korea. China, North Korea’s economic lifeline and a party to the Iran deal, would be particularly incensed.
The bottom line: If the U.S. wants the international community's support — and particularly China's — going into a North Korea nuclear summit, it will be in the Trump administration's best interests to keep its commitments under the Iran deal.
Barbara Slavin directs the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council.