Macron Hopeful of Iran Nuclear Deal in Next Few Days

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a meeting on education at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, France August 25, 2022. Mohammed Badra/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a meeting on education at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, France August 25, 2022. Mohammed Badra/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Macron Hopeful of Iran Nuclear Deal in Next Few Days

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a meeting on education at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, France August 25, 2022. Mohammed Badra/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a meeting on education at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, France August 25, 2022. Mohammed Badra/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

France's president said on Thursday he hoped a deal to revive the Iran nuclear deal would be concluded in the coming days.

"I hope that in the next few days the JCPOA will be concluded," Emmanuel Macron said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the deal is formally known, in a speech to French ambassadors.

Iran needs stronger guarantees from Washington for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, its foreign minister said in Moscow on Wednesday, adding that the UN atomic watchdog should drop its "politically motivated probes" of Tehran's nuclear work.

After 16 months of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Aug. 8 the EU had laid down a final offer to overcome an impasse for the revival of the agreement.

Iran's top diplomat, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said Tehran was carefully reviewing Washington's response to the text, which was conveyed to Iran last week by the EU as coordinator of the nuclear talks.

"Iran is carefully reviewing the EU-drafted text ... We need stronger guarantees from the other party to have a sustainable deal," Amirabdollahian told a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow.



North Korea Condemns US Military Drills with South Korea, Japan

HANDOUT - 21 November 2024, North Korea, Pyongyang: A photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 22 November 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) attending the National Defence Development 2024 arms exhibition. Photo: -/kcna/dpa
HANDOUT - 21 November 2024, North Korea, Pyongyang: A photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 22 November 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) attending the National Defence Development 2024 arms exhibition. Photo: -/kcna/dpa
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North Korea Condemns US Military Drills with South Korea, Japan

HANDOUT - 21 November 2024, North Korea, Pyongyang: A photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 22 November 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) attending the National Defence Development 2024 arms exhibition. Photo: -/kcna/dpa
HANDOUT - 21 November 2024, North Korea, Pyongyang: A photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 22 November 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) attending the National Defence Development 2024 arms exhibition. Photo: -/kcna/dpa

North Korea condemned on Saturday recent joint military drills by the United States, South Korea and Japan, warning that it would take immediate actions if needed to defend the state.
Last week, the three countries held a three-day joint exercise, dubbed "Freedom Edge", featuring fighter jets and marine patrol aircraft as well as the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS George Washington.
"We strongly warn the US and its followers hostile towards the DPRK to immediately stop the hostile acts of further causing provocation and instability that can drive the military confrontation in the Korean peninsula and its vicinity into a real armed conflict," the North's defense ministry said, using the country's official name.
The military would keep all options available and take immediate actions if needed to preemptively control risk, while closely watching military activity by the US and its allies, it said in a statement carried by state media KCNA.