TEHRAN – Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki has said that a U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal would pose threat against the international peace and security.

In an interview with IRNA published on Sunday, al-Maliki said implementation of the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, is beneficial to the entire world.

“The JCPOA is a victory for the entire humanity, the region and all the peace-seeking people in the world,” noted al-Maliki, who was Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014.

He also said that it is better for the U.S. to remain in the nuclear deal.

Quitting an agreement which has been approved by the UN Security Council will be a violation of international law, the senior Iraqi politician remarked.

U.S. President Donald Trump is to decide on May 12 whether to stay in the multilateral agreement or not.

Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the U.S., UK, France, Russia, and China - Germany and the European Union struck the nuclear deal in July 2015. The deal took effect in January 2016.

The UN Security Council turned the JCPOA into international law by endorsing a resolution in July 2015.

NA/PA