Vice President Mike Pence and German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered rather contrasting addresses at the recent Munich Security Conference. Whereas Merkel defended the Iran nuclear deal, of which her country is part, Pence once again urged Germany and other European allies to follow his government’s lead and withdraw from the arrangement.
Pence stated that “[t]he time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join with us as we bring the economic diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the region, and the world the peace, security and freedom they deserve.” About half an hour earlier, Merkel had asked whether the US and its European allies would really benefit from ensuring “that this negative impact that Iran has is contained by canceling the only agreement,” suggesting instead that they could use the deal “as a smaller lever to put pressure on other issues.”
Read more: Pence calls on European allies to withdraw from Iran deal as Merkel defends decision
