5 Democratic presidential hopefuls say they would rejoin Iran deal

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Five Democratic presidential candidates said they would re-enter the Iran nuclear deal that US President Donald Trump abandoned last year.

Al-Monitor, a Middle East news site, solicited the Democratic candidates about whether they would rejoin the deal. The five are senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California; Wayne Messam, a South Florida mayor; and Marianne Williamson, a New Age writer. Sanders and Williamson are Jewish.

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey said it was too early to say, and another 10 candidates did not reply. Al-Monitor noted that former vice president Joe Biden, who is expected to announce his candidacy soon, sharply criticized Trump last year when he withdrew from the deal.

The deal, forged in 2015 between Iran and five major powers, is still in effect, as the other parties — Russia, China, Britain and Germany — have resisted Trump administration pressure to also pull out of the agreement, which provides trade sanctions relief for Iran’s rollback of its nuclear program. The Trump administration has reimposed sanctions on entities dealing with Iran.

Trump, backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the deal did not adequately address the dangers Iran posed to the region.