Beyond this, Trump could—and should—expand the pre-JCPOA sanctions regime to tighten the noose around the Iranian economy. This will be necessary in the wake of further cheating by Tehran. At the same time, Trump needs to remember that dismantling the nuclear deal is not an end in itself. The purpose is to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table in order to achieve a deal that verifiably ensures Iran’s permanent abandonment of its nuclear weapons infrastructure. The JCPOA does not accomplish that and never will. It must be dismantled.

To be successful, however, the United States should pursue a gradual dismantlement that takes into account the interests of its allies, allows the world to adjust to an American policy of Iran rollback and relies on Tehran’s almost insatiable appetite to draw closer to nuclear weapons.

Daniel P. Vajdich is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Image: P5+1 foreign ministers announce the framework of a comprehensive framework agreement with Iran. Wikimedia Commons/Department of State