A bipartisan group of more than 100 U.S. national security experts, including nearly 50 retired military officers and more than 30 former ambassadors, issued a statement on March 27 urging President Donald Trump to remain in the 2015 nuclear deal.

The statement titled "Keep the Iran deal -- 10 Good Reasons Why" calls on Trump to "maintain the U.S. commitment to the Iran nuclear deal" as doing so will "strengthen America's hand in dealing with North Korea, as well as Iran, and help maintain the reliability of America's word and influence as a world leader."

“Ditching it would serve no national security purpose,” CNN reported.

“U.S. relations with major European allies, who all oppose U.S. withdrawal, would be preserved for advancing U.S. national security interests beyond the nuclear deal,” the statement said. “The U.S. will build credibility and retain influence with its negotiating partners to ensure strict implementation with the agreement, be able to lead efforts to strengthen it, or garner strong support for imposing additional sanctions if necessary.”

In a statement on January 12, Trump gave Europeans only 120 days and set May 12 deadline to agree to an overhaul of the nuclear agreement and said if the text of the nuclear deal is not revised he would unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. Trump said the nuclear deal should include Iran’s defense program including missiles.

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 went into effect in January 2016.

Under the deal Iran put restrictions on its nuclear work in exchange for termination of nuclear-related sanctions.

NA/PA