EU and Iran defend nuclear deal, under fire from Trump

The US Congress has until mid-December to decide whether to reimpose sanctions lifted by the deal.

By REUTERS
A compilation photo of Federica Mogherini and Donald Trump (photo credit: EDUARDO MUNOZ&JOSHUA ROBERTS/REUTERS)
A compilation photo of Federica Mogherini and Donald Trump
(photo credit: EDUARDO MUNOZ&JOSHUA ROBERTS/REUTERS)
Senior officials from the European Union and Iran spoke up on Friday in defense of the agreement limiting Tehran's nuclear program, as the pact comes under heavy pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The nuclear deal was "a major achievement of European and international multilateral diplomacy," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told a conference in Uzbekistan.
"The European Union will make sure it will continue to be fully implemented by all, in all its parts," she said.
Trump on October 13 dealt a blow to the pact by refusing to certify that Tehran was complying with the accord, under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions. International inspectors said it was complying.
The US Congress has until mid-December to decide whether to reimpose sanctions lifted by the deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also spoke on Friday at the United Nations-sponsored conference on Central Asian security and development in Samarkand.
"By clinching the nuclear deal and fulfilling all our commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we have in action proved our compliance with the principle of non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament," he said, without mentioning Trump directly.