nuclear-news

World powers stick to Iran nuclear deal despite protests, US, Kambiz Foroohar, SMH, 7 Dec 18,New York: US Ambassador Nikki Haley called an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to focus on deadly protests in Iran, but the hearing didn’t go as planned.While most envoys criticised the violence of the past week and called on the Iranian government to show restraint with protesters, several – including American allies France and the UK – also used the opportunity to defend the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, an accord increasingly seen as under threat by the Trump administration.

After criticiSing Iran’s ballistic missile development and role in supporting Yemeni rebels, UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft added that “the UK remains fully committed to the JCPOA,” an acronym for the nuclear accord. “We encourage all members states to uphold all their commitments. A prosperous, stable Iran is beneficial to all.”

Ending the nuclear accord “would be a major setback for the entire international community,” French envoy Francois Delattre said, adding that “the agreement is one of the cornerstones of stability in the Middle East as a whole.”

The concerns about the nuclear accord come as US President Donald Trump faces a series of key decisions on Iran starting next week – including whether to honour part of the 2015 agreement that lifted restrictions on Iran’s banking, oil and shipping industries. He could opt to re-impose the sanctions and risk collapse of the accord, a move that Friday’s UN session showed would leave the US isolated……http://www.smh.com.au/world/world-powers-stick-to-iran-nuclear-deal-despite-protests-us-20180106-h0ed20.html