UN Chief Warns against Endangering Iran Nuclear Deal

TEHRAN (defapress) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) not to damage the multilateral agreement.

News ID: 68141

Date: 18 January 2018 - 15:20

"Issues not directly related to the (nuclear deal) should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments," Guterres said in a statement on Wednesday.

The deal is a "major achievement of nuclear nonproliferation and diplomacy, and has contributed to regional and international peace and security," he said.

Guterres noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly concluded that Iran is fulfilling its side of the agreement, AFP reported.

Last week, Trump again waived sanctions against Iran that were lifted as part of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, but threatened he would terminate the agreement if “significant flaws” in it are not fixed.

“Today, I am waiving the application of certain nuclear sanctions, but only in order to secure our European allies’ agreement to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal,” he said in a statement.

“This is a last chance. In the absence of such an agreement, the United States will not again waive sanctions in order to stay in the Iran nuclear deal. And if at any time I judge that such an agreement is not within reach, I will withdraw from the deal immediately. No one should doubt my word.”

In October, Trump said he would not certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear agreement that was negotiated under the previous administration.

He said he wants Congress to “fix the deal’s many flaws” such as existing sunset provisions.