Iran rejects US accusation it long violated nuclear deal

DUBAI: Iran rejected on Tuesday a White House accusation that Tehran was long violating the terms of its nuclear deal with world powers, after the Islamic Republic said it had amassed more low-enriched uranium than permitted under the accord.

“Seriously?” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a message on social network Twitter, after a statement by White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham that said, “There is little doubt that even before the deal’s existence, Iran was violating its terms.” Tehran’s announcement drew a warning from President Donald Trump that Tehran was “playing with fire.”

Russia tells Iran ‘not to give in to emotions’ in nuclear standoff: Russia on Tuesday urged Iran not to give in to emotion and instead abide by its nuclear agreements, a day after Tehran said it had breached limits set in a 2015 deal in response to US sanctions.

“We call on our Iranian colleagues to show sangfroid, not to give in to emotions by any means and observe key provisions of the IAEA Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol to this agreement,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. He said that Russia would do everything to help preserve the Iran nuclear accord.

“This agreement has special significance for the strengthening of the (nuclear) non-proliferation regime,” Lavrov said, speaking after talks with Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney. But all parties — not just Tehran — have to honour their commitments for the Iran nuclear agreement to be preserved, Lavrov added.

“I would very much want our European colleagues to understand the full measure of their responsibility for preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” Lavrov said. European countries should “safeguard Iran’s economic interests” and help it sell its oil, Russia’s top diplomat said.

Instex, a mechanism that Germany, France and Britain said they would create to help Iran bypass US sanctions, has yet to materialise, Lavrov said.China ‘regrets’ Iran’s decision to exceed uranium limit: China said Tuesday it regrets Iran’s decision to exceed a limit on enriched uranium reserves under a 2015 nuclear deal, but said US “maximum pressure is the root cause” of tensions.

Iran said Monday it had made good on its warning that it would breach the limit, prompting US President Donald Trump to warn that Tehran was “playing with fire”.