US and Iran meet as Trump threat looms over nuke deal
UNITED NATIONS, United States: Washington and Tehran’s top diplomats confronted each other for the first time Wednesday as envoys scrambled to save the Iran nuclear deal from a skeptical Donald Trump.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met as signatories to the 2015 accord at an EU-hosted event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
European ministers called the meeting to examine ways to save a deal that US President Trump is poised to denounce, but Tehran and Washington remain far apart.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini put the bravest possible face on the encounter, stressing that Iran and the major powers agree the deal is “delivering.”
But Tillerson said the discussion had been a political one and that even if Iran is in “technical” compliance with the pact, “significant differences” remain.
Speaking to Iran’s state broadcaster after the meeting, Zarif said all “members, except one country, stressed the importance of fully observing the (deal), its being non-negotiable and that all sides should remain committed to this international achievement.”
He condemned Washington’s “verbosity, especially the very insolent remarks by the president of the country”. – AFP
Story first published: 21st September 2017
Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/international/2017/09/us-iran-meet-trump-threat-looms-nuke-deal/