Telegraph - Donald Trump pulled America out of the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, reimposing sanctions on the regime and delivering on an election campaign promise.

The US president said the “defective” 2015 agreement would not stop Iran developing a nuclear bomb and signed a presidential memorandum enacting the US withdrawal.

Iran has been accused of failing to be honest about its nuclear ambitions while supporting terrorist groups and acting in an increasingly hostile way across the Middle East.

Britain, France and Germany condemned the move in a joint statement and promised to stay within the nuclear agreement claiming that it was the only way to prevent a Middle-Eastern nuclear arms race.

However, the White House announcement was welcomed by Israel - which released new intelligence on Iran's nuclear programme last week - and several Arab nations.

Mr Trump said: “It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement.

“The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen.

“In just a short period of time the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapon.

“Therefore I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.”

The US president added: “Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States.”

Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, warned that if negotiations with other partners to the deal failed then the country’s uranium programme will restart.

Shortly after the announcement, there were widespread reports of an explosion in Syria, believed to be the result of an Israeli strike on Iranian forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights later said at least nine pro-government fighters were killed, including members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

On Wednesday, footage emerged of hardline Iranian MPs lighting a paper US flag on fire in parliament and shouting "Death to America". The politicians, including a Shiite cleric, held the flaming flag alight as their colleagues joined their chants. They also burned a piece of paper representing the nuclear deal and stomped on the papers' ashes.

The impromptu demonstration reflected broad public anger in Iran after Mr Trump's decision.

EU leaders are expected to meet within days to discuss how the deal can be rescued. Mr Rouhani, the president of Iran, said Iran would stay in the nuclear deal for now but was prepared to return to enriching uranium if its interests were not preserved.

He denounced Mr Trump’s speech as “psychological warfare” against Iran but said his country would not bow to pressure. “Our people have always been victorious in the face of conspiracies and we will also emerge victorious at this juncture."

But he warned: "I have ordered Iran's atomic organisation that whenever it is needed, we will start enriching uranium more than before."

Russia said it was "deeply disappointed" by Mr Trump's decision.

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