Iran’s top leader set out seven conditions on Wednesday for Tehran to stay in its nuclear deal with world powers, including steps by European banks to safeguard trade with Tehran after the US withdrawal from the pact.



Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s official website said that he also stipulated European powers must protect Iranian oil sales from US pressure and continue buying Iranian crude, and must promise they would not seek new negotiations on Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional Middle East activities.



“European banks should safeguard trade with the Islamic Republic. We do not want to start a fight with these three countries (France, Germany and Britain) but we don’t trust them either,” Khamenei said.

“Europe should fully guarantee Iran’s oil sales. In case Americans can damage our oil sales..., Europeans should make up for that and buy Iranian oil.”

Last Update: Wednesday, 23 May 2018 KSA 22:26 - GMT 19:26 </s> The world powers struggling to preserve a nuclear deal with Iran are facing an increasingly uphill battle, with a new deadline from Tehran on finding a solution to make up for last year's unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the accord and the increasing economic hardship that has put on the Islamic Republic.

After Iran notified Britain, Russia, China, the European Union, France and Germany of its intentions in a letter, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address Wednesday that the nations have 60 days to come up with a plan to shield his country from the sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump after he pulled Washington out of the deal.

"If the five countries join negotiations and help Iran to reach its benefits in the field of oil and banking, Iran will return to its commitments according to the nuclear deal," Rouhani said.

The 2015 deal, intended to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, promised economic incentives in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities. Despite efforts so far by the others to keep the deal from collapsing, Iran's economy has been struggling and its currency has plummeted in value after the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions.

Later Wednesday, Trump issued an executive order announcing new sanctions targeting Iran's steel, aluminum, copper and iron sectors, which provide foreign currency earnings for Tehran.

Many international corporations are reluctant to risk running afoul of Washington and have severed ties with Iran; a complicated barter-type system set up by the Europeans to allow their businesses to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran — and thus evade possible U.S. sanctions — is not yet finalized.

Iran has continued abiding by the stipulations of the deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but had been expressing increasing frustration with the inability of the Europeans to provide economic relief, culminating with Wednesday's threat to resume higher enrichment of uranium in 60 days unless new terms are negotiated.

Despite Rouhani's threatening rhetoric and the now-ticking clock, Europeans were cautiously hoping the Iranian president was not on the verge of breaking the deal but instead seeking to show strength domestically as the economy slumps.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his office had been in contact with all the others involved in the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, since the announcement to see what could be done to get Tehran to back down.

"Our opinion is and remains: We want to preserve the agreement, in particular to prevent Iran from coming into possession of nuclear weapons," he told reporters. "We don't need further escalation in the region."

Similarly, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told BFMTV television that "nothing would be worse than Iran leaving this deal."

"We absolutely want to keep this agreement alive," Parly said.

At a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in London, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called Iran's threat "unwelcome" and urged it not to take "further escalatory steps," while emphasizing Britain was not ready to give up on the JCPOA.

"For as long as Iran keeps its commitments then so, too, will the United Kingdom," he said.

Hunt said Britain and the U.S. agreed on the need to confront the threat from Iran, but "it's no secret we have a different approach on how best to achieve that."

Pompeo was restrained in his own assessment of the letter that Iran sent to the JCPOA group outlining its intentions.

"I think it was intentionally ambiguous," he said. "We'll have to wait to see what Iran's actions actually are. They have made have made a number of statements about actions they have threatened to do in order to get the world to jump."

In his television address, Rouhani also tried a gambit designed to hit a sore spot for Europe, over the issue of migration and drug-smuggling.

Noting that Iran now cooperates on issues like controlling immigration and targeting Afghan opium and hashish traffickers, he said: "You are obliged ... for your own security, for protecting your youths against drugs as well as controlling influx of immigrants."

There was no immediate response from officials in Europe, which has seen an influx of refugees and migrants from the Middle East in recent years.

China, a key Iranian ally and trading partner, suggested that Washington's recent decision to deploy an aircraft carrier group and a bomber wing to the Middle East to confront unspecified threats from Tehran had added fuel to the fire.

"We regret that the U.S. has further aggravated the tension on the Iranian nuclear issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "We call on all parties concerned to exercise restraint, strengthen dialogue and avoid escalating tensions."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov went a step further, saying the situation surrounding the fate of the 2015 nuclear accord has been complicated by "irresponsible behavior" from Washington.

After meeting in Moscow with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's support for the deal and blamed the U.S. for undermining it.

"The U.S. is to blame for the situation and it makes it difficult for both Iran to fulfill its obligations and ... for the general state of the nuclear non-proliferation regime," Lavrov said.

Zarif insisted that Iran's decision to partially withdraw from certain provisions did not violate the agreement, and asserted it was provoked by U.S. actions toward Iran.

He also said Iran will uphold its obligations if European signatories to the deal uphold theirs.

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jill Lawless in London, Frank Jordans in Berlin, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Matthew Bodner in Moscow contributed. </s> BERLIN — The world powers struggling to preserve a nuclear deal with Iran are facing an increasingly uphill battle, with a new deadline from Tehran on finding a solution to make up for last year’s unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the accord and the increasing economic hardship that has put on the Islamic Republic.

After Iran notified Britain, Russia, China, the European Union, France and Germany of its intentions in a letter, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address Wednesday that the nations have 60 days to come up with a plan to shield his country from the sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump after he pulled Washington out of the deal.

“If the five countries join negotiations and help Iran to reach its benefits in the field of oil and banking, Iran will return to its commitments according to the nuclear deal,” Rouhani said.

The 2015 deal, intended to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, promised economic incentives in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities. Despite efforts so far by the others to keep the deal from collapsing, Iran’s economy has been struggling and its currency has plummeted in value after the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions.

Later Wednesday, Trump issued an executive order announcing new sanctions targeting Iran’s steel, aluminum, copper and iron sectors, which provide foreign currency earnings for Tehran.

Many international corporations are reluctant to risk running afoul of Washington and have severed ties with Iran; a complicated barter-type system set up by the Europeans to allow their businesses to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran — and thus evade possible U.S. sanctions — is not yet finalized.

Iran has continued abiding by the stipulations of the deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but had been expressing increasing frustration with the inability of the Europeans to provide economic relief, culminating with Wednesday’s threat to resume higher enrichment of uranium in 60 days unless new terms are negotiated.

Despite Rouhani’s threatening rhetoric and the now-ticking clock, Europeans were cautiously hoping the Iranian president was not on the verge of breaking the deal but instead seeking to show strength domestically as the economy slumps.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his office had been in contact with all the others involved in the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, since the announcement to see what could be done to get Tehran to back down.

“Our opinion is and remains: We want to preserve the agreement, in particular to prevent Iran from coming into possession of nuclear weapons,” he told reporters. “We don’t need further escalation in the region.”

Similarly, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told BFMTV television that “nothing would be worse than Iran leaving this deal.”

“We absolutely want to keep this agreement alive,” Parly said.

At a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in London, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called Iran’s threat “unwelcome” and urged it not to take “further escalatory steps,” while emphasizing Britain was not ready to give up on the JCPOA.

“For as long as Iran keeps its commitments then so, too, will the United Kingdom,” he said.

Hunt said Britain and the U.S. agreed on the need to confront the threat from Iran, but “it’s no secret we have a different approach on how best to achieve that.”

Pompeo was restrained in his own assessment of the letter that Iran sent to the JCPOA group outlining its intentions.

“I think it was intentionally ambiguous,” he said. “We’ll have to wait to see what Iran’s actions actually are. They have made have made a number of statements about actions they have threatened to do in order to get the world to jump.”

In his television address, Rouhani also tried a gambit designed to hit a sore spot for Europe, over the issue of migration and drug-smuggling.

Noting that Iran now cooperates on issues like controlling immigration and targeting Afghan opium and hashish traffickers, he said: “You are obliged ... for your own security, for protecting your youths against drugs as well as controlling influx of immigrants.”

There was no immediate response from officials in Europe, which has seen an influx of refugees and migrants from the Middle East in recent years.

China, a key Iranian ally and trading partner, suggested that Washington’s recent decision to deploy an aircraft carrier group and a bomber wing to the Middle East to confront unspecified threats from Tehran had added fuel to the fire.

“We regret that the U.S. has further aggravated the tension on the Iranian nuclear issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. “We call on all parties concerned to exercise restraint, strengthen dialogue and avoid escalating tensions.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov went a step further, saying the situation surrounding the fate of the 2015 nuclear accord has been complicated by “irresponsible behavior” from Washington.

After meeting in Moscow with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s support for the deal and blamed the U.S. for undermining it.

“The U.S. is to blame for the situation and it makes it difficult for both Iran to fulfill its obligations and ... for the general state of the nuclear non-proliferation regime,” Lavrov said.

Zarif insisted that Iran’s decision to partially withdraw from certain provisions did not violate the agreement, and asserted it was provoked by U.S. actions toward Iran.

He also said Iran will uphold its obligations if European signatories to the deal uphold theirs.

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jill Lawless in London, Frank Jordans in Berlin, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Matthew Bodner in Moscow contributed.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Alwaght- Iran's Foreign Minister has warned that if the European countries fail to properly fulfill their commitments, Iran would take its own measures to counter the US withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks while addressing reporters in the Austrian capital Vienna on Friday following a meeting with his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia for the first time since US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out from the nuclear accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May.

Zarif said all the remaining signatories to a 2015 landmark nuclear agreement have political will to stand up to the United States' move to withdraw from the deal.

Zarif pointed to his "very serious and constructive" talks with the remaining parties of the nuclear deal and said, "I believe that there is political will to continue work and save this agreement but we must see what will happen to this issue in practice."

The top Iranian diplomat said the participants at the Vienna meeting agreed to take "good measures" to save the JCPOA.

The US president announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement and that he plans to reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA have agreed to continue talking, including on economic measures, over how to save the nuclear deal after the US withdrawal.

Mogherini, who chairs the Vienna talks, read a statement while speaking at a news conference after the first ministerial meeting between the remaining parties to the JCPOA since the United States withdrawal.

She added that the participants will work on the issues such as "the encouragement of further investments in Iran, the protection of economic operators for their investments and other commercial and financial activities in or in relation to Iran, the bringing together of private and public sector experts, the practical support for trade with and investment in Iran, the protection of companies from the extraterritorial effects of US sanctions." </s> BERLIN (AP) — The world powers struggling to preserve a nuclear deal with Iran are facing an increasingly uphill battle, with a new deadline from Tehran on finding a solution to make up for last year's unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the accord and the increasing economic hardship that has put on the Islamic Republic.

After Iran notified Britain, Russia, China, the European Union, France and Germany of its intentions in a letter, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address Wednesday that the nations have 60 days to come up with a plan to shield his country from the sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump after he pulled Washington out of the deal.

"If the five countries join negotiations and help Iran to reach its benefits in the field of oil and banking, Iran will return to its commitments according to the nuclear deal," Rouhani said.

The 2015 deal, intended to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, promised economic incentives in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities. Despite efforts so far by the others to keep the deal from collapsing, Iran's economy has been struggling and its currency has plummeted in value after the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions.

Later Wednesday, Trump issued an executive order announcing new sanctions targeting Iran's steel, aluminum, copper and iron sectors, which provide foreign currency earnings for Tehran.

Many international corporations are reluctant to risk running afoul of Washington and have severed ties with Iran; a complicated barter-type system set up by the Europeans to allow their businesses to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran — and thus evade possible U.S. sanctions — is not yet finalized.

Iran has continued abiding by the stipulations of the deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but had been expressing increasing frustration with the inability of the Europeans to provide economic relief, culminating with Wednesday's threat to resume higher enrichment of uranium in 60 days unless new terms are negotiated.

Despite Rouhani's threatening rhetoric and the now-ticking clock, Europeans were cautiously hoping the Iranian president was not on the verge of breaking the deal but instead seeking to show strength domestically as the economy slumps.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his office had been in contact with all the others involved in the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, since the announcement to see what could be done to get Tehran to back down.

"Our opinion is and remains: We want to preserve the agreement, in particular to prevent Iran from coming into possession of nuclear weapons," he told reporters. "We don't need further escalation in the region."

Similarly, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told BFMTV television that "nothing would be worse than Iran leaving this deal."

"We absolutely want to keep this agreement alive," Parly said.

At a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in London, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called Iran's threat "unwelcome" and urged it not to take "further escalatory steps," while emphasizing Britain was not ready to give up on the JCPOA.

"For as long as Iran keeps its commitments then so, too, will the United Kingdom," he said.

Hunt said Britain and the U.S. agreed on the need to confront the threat from Iran, but "it's no secret we have a different approach on how best to achieve that."

Pompeo was restrained in his own assessment of the letter that Iran sent to the JCPOA group outlining its intentions.

"I think it was intentionally ambiguous," he said. "We'll have to wait to see what Iran's actions actually are. They have made have made a number of statements about actions they have threatened to do in order to get the world to jump."

In his television address, Rouhani also tried a gambit designed to hit a sore spot for Europe, over the issue of migration and drug-smuggling.

Noting that Iran now cooperates on issues like controlling immigration and targeting Afghan opium and hashish traffickers, he said: "You are obliged ... for your own security, for protecting your youths against drugs as well as controlling influx of immigrants."

There was no immediate response from officials in Europe, which has seen an influx of refugees and migrants from the Middle East in recent years.

China, a key Iranian ally and trading partner, suggested that Washington's recent decision to deploy an aircraft carrier group and a bomber wing to the Middle East to confront unspecified threats from Tehran had added fuel to the fire.

"We regret that the U.S. has further aggravated the tension on the Iranian nuclear issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "We call on all parties concerned to exercise restraint, strengthen dialogue and avoid escalating tensions."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov went a step further, saying the situation surrounding the fate of the 2015 nuclear accord has been complicated by "irresponsible behavior" from Washington.

After meeting in Moscow with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's support for the deal and blamed the U.S. for undermining it.

"The U.S. is to blame for the situation and it makes it difficult for both Iran to fulfill its obligations and ... for the general state of the nuclear non-proliferation regime," Lavrov said.

Zarif insisted that Iran's decision to partially withdraw from certain provisions did not violate the agreement, and asserted it was provoked by U.S. actions toward Iran.

He also said Iran will uphold its obligations if European signatories to the deal uphold theirs.

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jill Lawless in London, Frank Jordans in Berlin, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Matthew Bodner in Moscow contributed. </s> (CNN) In comments likely to frustrate the White House, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany and China will stand by the existing nuclear accord with Iran, even as the US has withdrawn and expects its European allies to follow suit.

Her remarks come hours after Iran's leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, issued a set of demands to European powers in which he voiced skepticism that they would remain committed to the 2015 deal. He also warned that Iran would restart its nuclear activities if they failed to act swiftly.

"The heads of European countries say different things. For our economy, we cannot rely on JCPOA and the Europeans," Khamenei said in statements that were published on his official website. He was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, otherwise known as the Iran nuclear accord.

Khamenei said the JCPOA could only continue if the Europeans fulfill six conditions including: Promising not to ask Iran about its ballistic missile program or its regional activities; guaranteeing that Iran's oil will continue to be sold and compensating for any losses and buying any remainining stock; and having European banks guarantee financial transactions with Iran.

"If the Europeans linger over our demands, Iran has the right to resume its nuclear activities," Khamenei continued. "When we see that the JCPOA is useless, one way forward is to restart those halted activities."

The US was like Tom in "Tom and Jerry"

Khamenei said Iran had learned its lessons and could no longer "interact with the US." Speaking with Iranian government officials on Wednesday, Khamenei said the US had "plotted various political, economic, military and propaganda schemes against the Islamic Republic," all aimed at overthrowing the regime.

"All their plots have failed .... just like Tom from the well-known Tom and Jerry cartoon; and they will fail again in the future."

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, told reporters in Tehran on Wednesday that Iranian support in Middle Eastern countries was only there because those countries had requested it.

"As long as these governments want us to maintain our presence we will help, and the aids we provide is to the benefit of the entire world," Zarif said.

Iran has funded and equipped proxy forces in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, as well as Houthi rebels in Yemen who are fighting pro-government forces. It has also provided for Shia militias and their commanders and politicians in neighboring Iraq. Rockets fired into Saudi Arabia from Yemen are reported to have been supplied to the rebels by Iran. And Israel has sustained attacks along its borders with Lebanon and Syria from Iranian-supported forces.

'We didn't create the list, they did'

He set out at least 12 conditions for Iran to meet if it wanted to avoid the painful "sting of sanctions" that would include "unprecedented financial pressure."

Among Pompeo's demands: Iran allowing a full account and verification of its nuclear program and the permanent and verifiable abandonment of it; an end to enrichment; access for the International Atomic Energy Agency into all weapons sites across Iran; the end of ballistic missile proliferation, the release of all detained US citizens; and the end of its support to militant groups including Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"The length of the list is simply a scope of the malign behavior of Iran," Pompeo said in his speech at conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC. "We didn't create the list, they did."

When it comes to Iran's demands, it insists that its oil sales continue unperturbed regardless of the impact of whatever sanctions the US might impose. Right now, the biggest consumer of Iran's oil is China . And with Li standing beside Merkel as she declared the two nations would remain committed to the deal, those sales seem less in doubt.

In his comments on Monday Pompeo said he expected not only "European friends" to support the US strategy, "but much more than that."

"I want the Australians, the Bahrainis, the Egyptians, the Indians, the Japanese, the Jordanians, the Kuwaitis, the Omanis, the Qataris, the Saudi Arabians, South Korea, the UAE and many, many others worldwide to join in this effort," he said.

But so far, the responses have been muted. The Europeans and other world leaders had urged the White House not to walk away from the deal.

Along with Merkel, the leaders of Europe and the European Union have said they intend to stick to the deal, while leaders in Russia and Turkey criticized the US decision. Votes of support are few, and have so far come from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. </s> Senior diplomats from Iran and five world powers are meeting in Vienna on May 25 to try to prevent the 2015 nuclear deal from collapsing after the United States pulled out of the agreement and reinstated sanctions against Iran this month.

Iranian leaders have said they will uphold their side of the deal, which involves strict curbs on their nuclear program, if Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China uphold theirs by making sure that Iran can keep doing business with the world, despite the revived U.S. sanctions.

"It won't be easy, but we'll try," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said ahead of the talks.

Iranian ministers are under orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to seek guarantees from the Europeans for Iranian oil sales and trade, as well as their agreement to spurn U.S. efforts to negotiate a stronger and broader deal with Tehran.

Khamenei laid out a series of conditions on May 23 that he said must be met for Iran to stay in the deal.

The European powers are expected to highlight EU efforts to legally shield European companies that have established ties with Iran from the U.S. sanctions so they can continue doing business in Iran.

Diplomats said the European Union is trying to make sure that such businesses are not affected in particular by U.S. sanctions prohibiting Iran from using the U.S. dollar or U.S. financial institutions to transact business.

Iranian officials are expected to carefully scrutinize the package of measures EU officials have cobbled together to try to counter the U.S. sanctions.

Some European officials have been openly skeptical that the measures will be effective in keeping businesses from fleeing Iran. Several major corporations, including France's Total and Germany's Allianz, already have announced they are leaving unless they receive exemptions from the U.S. sanctions.

"I think this is a moment of truth for the Europeans," EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini said this week.

The meeting of foreign ministers is the first since U.S. President Donald Trump on May 8 abandoned the deal, formally named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which originally provided near-universal sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear activities.

In pullng out, Trump argued that the agreement would not stop Iran from eventually developing atomic warheads, and that it did nothing to check Iran's ballistic missile program or its involvement in regional conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

European and Russian leaders say the deal has accomplished its goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons while contributing to stability in the Middle East.

With reporting by dpa and Reuters </s> Britain, France and Germany made a joint plea to Donald Trump on Thursday to endorse a key nuclear deal with Iran as the US president mulls reimposing sanctions on Tehran.

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"The deal is working, it is delivering on its main goal, which means keeping the Iranian nuclear programme in check," said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, stressing the importance of preserving an agreement that is "making the world safer and... preventing a potential nuclear arms race in the region".

Mogherini’s comments followed a meeting between her British, French and German counterparts with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Brussels Thursday.

In sharp contrast to Trump's view that the 2015 pact was "the worst deal ever negotiated", the foreign ministers of the three countries and the EU's top diplomat said there was no alternative to the accord and that sanctions should remain lifted.

Trump is expected to decide on Friday whether or not to reimpose sanctions against Tehran that were suspended under the deal. In October, Trump refused to certify Iran was complying with the accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said there was "no indication" Tehran was not keeping its side of the bargain.

"It is important now that all parties respect this joint commitment and that our American allies respect it as well," said Le Drian.

Reporting from Brussels, FRANCE 24’s Meabh McMahon noted that Mogherini was doing “everything she can to try to preserve the deal” and the display of European unity was critical. “This is one of the main diplomatic success stories of the European Union in the last couple of years. It’s a chance for the EU to show how it can solve problems globally by using its soft power,” McMahon added.

EU has to show its ‘backbone’

In a Twitter post, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said the meeting had shown a "strong consensus" that Iran was complying with the pact.

"E3 (Germany, France and Britain) and EU fully aware that Iran's continued compliance [is] conditioned on full compliance by the US," Zarif added.

Strong consensus in Brussels today: 1)Iran is complying with #JCPOA, 2)Iranian people have every right to all its dividends, 3)any move that undermines JCPOA is unacceptable. E3 and EU fully aware that Iran’s continued compliance conditioned on full compliance by the US. pic.twitter.com/vpib5DQT18 Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 11, 2018

While the joint European position was welcomed by the Iranian government, Mohammad Marandi, a political analyst at the University of Tehran, noted that if the EU did not transform rhetoric into action, the 2015 deal was in peril.

“The only thing now is for the European countries to show they have a backbone to stand up and show that they can protect their citizens and their businesses,” said Marandi in an interview with FRANCE 24 from Tehran. “If Iran sees that implementation in action, then there is hope for the deal. If not, if it’s just empty rhetoric and the Europeans are not willing to stand up to Trump, then the Iranians will withdraw from the deal.”

Under the accord, Iran slowed its nuclear program in exchange for an easing of international economic sanctions.

Officials from major world powers and Iran meet roughly every three to four months to assess implementation of the deal, which is monitored by the world's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

US officials and others familiar with the administration's deliberations have indicated that Trump is likely to back the accord for now but that he may pair his decision with new, targeted sanctions on Iranian businesses and people.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters on Thursday that he believed Trump would impose new sanctions on Iran.

"I am expecting new sanctions on Iran," Mnuchin told reporters in Washington DC. "We continue to look at them. We've rolled them out and I think you can expect there will be more sanctions coming."

Regional conflicts

One of the criticisms levelled at the nuclear deal is that it does nothing to address Iran's continuing ballistic missile programme and meddling in Middle East conflicts such as Yemen and Syria.

The Europeans say these issues should be kept separate from discussion of the nuclear deal, but in a nod to US concerns, Mogherini stressed they were raised with Zarif at Thursday's talks.

She said they had also brought up "internal recent events" in a reference to anti-government protests in Iran that left more than 20 people dead.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson added that it was important for building global support for the nuclear deal that "Iran should be able to show that it is a good neighbour in the region" and show what it can do to help solve the Yemen crisis.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel even indicated that Iran had agreed to open talks about regional issues, starting with Yemen.

US Congress is working on a way to punish Iran for the ballistic missile programme and its interference in Middle East conflicts such as Yemen and Syria.

The 28-member EU has condemned the "unacceptable loss of human lives" in the protests and stressed that peaceful protest and freedom of expression are "fundamental rights".

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS and AP) </s> The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran has lived up to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement, Press TV reported.

The United Nations nuclear agency confirmed Iran's compliance with the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in its latest quarterly report, the French news agency AFP said on Thursday.

According to the report, Iran’s stock of low-enriched uranium did not exceed the agreed limit of 300 kilograms while its stock of heavy water remained below the ceiling of 130 tonnes after the country exported 19.1 tonnes.

The Islamic Republic "has not pursued the construction of the Arak ... reactor" and has not enriched uranium above low purity levels, it added.

The report comes at a time that Washington has stepped up its rhetoric and actions against the JCPOA.

Recent media reports indicate that administration of US President Donald Trump is actively seeking a pretext to potentially withdraw from the JCPOA.

Last week, the Trump administration sent US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley to Vienna to lobby with the IAEA to request access to Iranian military sites as part of the deal, a move generally considered as an attempt at undermining the JCPOA.

Trump has also set up a team of his White House confidantes to present him with “options” other than certifying Iranian compliance with the deal to the Congress. Such certification is needed by US law every 90 days in order for the Congress to continue to withhold nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.

The White House has been further pressuring US intelligence officials to produce intelligence that could be used to declare Iran in violation of the nuclear agreement.

On the contrary, European officials have recently come out in support of the multilateral nuclear deal.

Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron said there was "no alternative" to the deal, noting, “It enables a constructive and demanding relationship with Iran.”

The European Union (EU)’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, also said the deal represented “the European way to foreign policy.”

The JCPOA was “a commitment undertaken by the entire international community on the one side and Iran on the other, supported by a resolution of the UN Security Council, and certified regularly by the International Atomic Energy Agency,” she pointed out.

 The JCPOA was inked between Iran and the P5+1 countries — namely the US, Russia, China, France, and Britain plus Germany — in July 2015 and took effect in January 2016.

Under the deal, limits were put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the removal of all nuclear-related bans imposed on the Islamic Republic, among other things.
Iran sets seven conditions to stay in the JCPOA Iran deal after the U.S. withdrew. One of these conditions is that European banks should safeguard trade with Iran.