Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that the folly of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has caused regional tension.

“I am deeply concerned by the current tensions in the (Persian) Gulf. They highlight the dangers posed by the lack of an effective Middle East security framework, and the folly of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the JCPOA. This rash move not only weakens regional stability, but also sends the wrong signal to ongoing negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear issues,” The Elders quoted Ban as saying in a statement issued on Friday.

The Elders called on all parties to the JCPOA, and the United States, to resume dialogue on the longer- and broader-term prospects for Iran’s security relations with the region, beyond the “sunset provisions” of the nuclear deal, as well as its reintegration into the international economic system.

They welcomed the recent statements by President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo that the U.S. does not want a war with Iran, and encouraged leaders and policymakers in Washington and Tehran to approach the issue in a spirit of good faith and mutual respect.

The Elders are an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights.

NA/PA