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Trump Leaves The Iran Nuclear Deal. Now What?

Trump Leaves The Iran Nuclear Deal. Now What?

(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to Bloomberg Opinion Today, an afternoon roundup of our opinions on business, politics, markets, technology and more. New subscribers can sign up here

ICYMI

Mike Pompeo’s on his way to North Korea. Chelsea Clinton’s not running for office

Trump Leaves The Iran Nuclear Deal. Now What?

Iran Away

President Donald Trump has long said he was going to scrap the Iran nuclear deal signed by his predecessor, and today he did it.

It’s not clear anybody knows exactly what happens next. The U.S. will reimpose sanctions, but with a delay. Iran and the European countries in the deal say they’re sticking with it. But that seems problematic if the U.S. is penalizing Iran and its business partners.

Eli Lake says the U.S. should work to free the Iranian people – though in a supportive, not leading role. And Trump did end his remarks by declaring solidarity with Iranians, saying they’d been held hostage by a dictatorial regime for 40 years.

Markets reacted anxiously, with stocks selling off a bit and bond and gold prices jumping. Crude-oil prices, weirdly, fell on the news, despite the prospect of oil-supply constraint. It could just be a case of traders taking profits; higher oil prices seem inevitable -- though, as with everything else here, nothing is certain. 

Israel's Birthday Present

Trump's move is a win for Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, who broke with his own military experts and the broader international community to push for ending the Iran deal. Now he and Trump must make their gambit work, writes Zev Chafets. That means destabilizing the Iranian regime and working out a new, longer-lasting peace deal. 

This all comes just a week before Israel celebrates its 70th anniversary. A nuclear-free Iran is not the biggest item on its birthday wish list, write James Stavridis and Michael Makovsky.

The Bloomberg View

Europe’s new General Protection Data Regulation, which seeks to protect people’s private data online, has its heart in the right place. But it’s loaded with potentially negative unintended consequences, Bloomberg’s editors write.

Primary Day

Control of Congress is at stake in primary elections today, write Jonathan Bernstein and Al Hunt in separate columns. A particularly bad day for the GOP would include a primary victory by disgraced former coal executive Don Blankenship. He’s a bad candidate, a boon to Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. That explains why Trump has told West Virginians to shun him. We’re about to find out if they listened.

Big Deals

Corporate mergers are coming so hot and heavy they had to roll Merger Monday into Takeover Tuesday. Comcast Corp. is preparing a bid for some 21st Century Fox Inc. entertainment assets, for which Walt Disney Co. already bid about $52 billion. Tara Lachapelle says Comcast is emboldened by the likely failure of the Justice Department to stop AT&T Inc.’s takeover of Time Warner Inc. Looks like anything goes, Comcast figures, so let’s try this.

Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is paying $62 billion to buy Shire PLC, launching itself into the pharma big leagues – and big-time risks, warns Max Nisen. There’s so much cash involved here, it moved the British pound this morning. And there’s still a chance Shire could get a better deal, writes Chris Hughes.

Aztecs Vs. Airports

Justin Fox takes a deep dive into the shaky prospects for Mexico City’s new airport – North America’s first “big-time” airport-construction project in 23 years (!).

It includes this great quote from a city planner: “Was it the best place to build an airport? Was Mexico City the best place to build a city? No, it wasn’t. The Aztecs made a huge mistake.”

Chart Attack

Amazon.com Inc. should buy a UK grocer, says Andrea Felsted.

Trump Leaves The Iran Nuclear Deal. Now What?

Zynga Inc. is a cautionary tale about how hard it is to nurse an Internet company back to health, writes Shira Ovide.

Trump Leaves The Iran Nuclear Deal. Now What?

Speed Round

The Kicker

Should we set a target date for getting people to Mars? I volunteer to go in 2020.

Note: Please send hate mail, suggestions and kicker ideas to Mark Gongloff at mgongloff1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the author of this story: Mark Gongloff at mgongloff1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Timothy L. O'Brien at tobrien46@bloomberg.net.

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