Iran still implementing terms of 2015 nuclear deal: IAEA

VIENNA: Iran is still implementing the 2015 accord over its nuclear programme, just weeks after Washington ditched the accord, according to a report by the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

The International Atomic Energy Agency report, seen by AFP Thursday, shows that Iran is abiding by the deal’s key restrictions on its nuclear facilities in return for relief from damaging economic sanctions.

The latest assessment from the IAEA comes after US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the accord earlier this month, putting its future in jeopardy. The IAEA urged Iran to stick with the accord and even go beyond its legal obligations so as to boost international confidence in Tehran’s commitments. A senior diplomat at IAEA headquarters said this was not prompted by any lack of co-operation or change of behaviour on Iran’s part. The IAEA is “encouraging (Iran) to go above and beyond the requirements” of the deal in order to boost confidence, the diplomat said, adding that Tehran could for example invite inspectors to sites they had not demanded access to.

Regime change not US objective in dealings with Iran: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that regime change is not a US objective in dealings with Iran. He responded, “No,” when asked at a US Senate hearing whether Washington was seeking regime change in the country.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang defended the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday, with Li hinting a collapse in the pact would complicate negotiations to disarm North Korea.

The pair also launched a spirited defence of free trade — another issue that the global community feels is under attack from US President Donald Trump’s strident rhetoric — during their meeting at the opulent Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Earlier this month Trump reimposed US sanctions on Iran that had been eased as part of an agreement aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Li warned that abandoning the deal with Tehran “will not just impact Iran, but also have a negative impact on (the ability) to solve other hot international issues through peaceful negotiations”. He did not mention North Korea by name, but analysts have warned that Trump’s move has dented Washington’s negotiating credibility ahead of his scheduled meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month.