Page 11 - IRANRptFeb20

2.7​ ​Europe’s major powers urge Iran to stick with nuclear deal
Germany, France, and the UK on January 12 urged Tehran to adhere to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal. ​In a joint statement on January 12, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that "it is essential that Iran return to full compliance with its commitment under the agreement".
The accord between Iran and six major powers restricted Iran's nuclear program to the civilian sphere in exchange for sanctions relief. But US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the deal in May 2018, saying he wanted it toughened up and for it to also address Iran’s ballistic missile development programme and arming of militias and “terrorist groups” in conflict zones of the Middle East.
Iran said last week it no longer considered itself bound by the agreement and would not adhere to its uranium enrichment limits, but added that it would continue to allow UN nuclear watchdog inspectors to keep monitoring its nuclear development programme.
Last week Trump called on European countries to also renounce the nuclear deal.
The January 12 joint statement added that "we must address—through diplomacy and in a meaningful way—shared concerns about Iran's destabilising regional activities, including those linked to its missile programme".
US Defence Secretary Mark Esper reiterated on US television on January 12 that the administration was prepared to open talks with Iran "without precondition" to work out "a series of steps by which Iran becomes a more normal country".
However, Tehran’s position is that it will not enter into talks with the US while Washington wages an “economic war” on the Iranian economy with brutal sanctions. It also says that Trump is not a man to be trusted and that he is a “rogue” president breaching international law.
Separately, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on January 10 that Iran could have nuclear weapons in one to two years if the country carries on violating the nuclear accord.
Iran says it has never had any intention of producing a nuclear bomb and that Islamic law forbids it from using such a weapon in anger.
11​ IRAN Country Report​ February 2020 www.intellinews.com