European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini stressed on Friday that US President Donald Trump does not have the authority to terminate the nuclear deal world powers signed with Iran in wake of his recent announcement of a new strategy against Tehran.
She said: “The president of the United States has many powers, but not this one.”
Trump had announced during a speech unveiling during which he unveiled the new strategy that he could terminate the deal at any time.
In other European reactions to Trump’s stance, France, Germany and Britain said in a joint statement that preserving the nuclear deal “falls within our national interest.”
French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romat said in a statement that the deal was a strong tool to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert stated: “We have a great interest in the continuation of this international unity. If ... an important country like the United States comes to a different conclusion as appears to be the case, we will work even harder with other partners to maintain this cohesion."
Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano declared on Friday that Tehran is "subject to the world's most robust nuclear verification regime."
He added that Iran is honoring its commitments.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that FM Sergei Lavrov had telephoned his Iranian counterpart Mohammed Javad Zarif on Friday, saying that Moscow will remain completely committed to the nuclear deal with Tehran.
Lavrov told Zarif that Russia was firmly determined to implement the deal in the form in which it was approved by the United Nations Security Council, reported Reuters.
The Kremlin meanwhile warned of “negative and dire consequences” if Washington withdrew from the deal, saying that Tehran would reciprocate such a move.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that spiking the deal "would undoubtedly hurt the atmosphere of predictability, security, stability and non-proliferation in the entire world."
Echoing Moscow’s stance, Beijing reiterated its commitment to the nuclear deal with Iran.
A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman hoped that all sides would continue to support and implement the agreement.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres "strongly hoped" the Iran nuclear deal will remain in place, after Trump accused Iran of violating the accord.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric noted that Guterres had long praised the 2015 pact as a very important breakthrough to stem the spread of nuclear weapons and advance global peace.
