Europe must save multilateralism, says Macron as US quits Iran deal

Europe is now the guarantor of the multilateral order, France's President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, a day after his US counterpart Donald Trump ditched the landmark Iran nuclear deal.

"We stand today at a historic moment for Europe -- Europe is in charge of guaranteeing the multilateral order that we created at the end of World War II and which today is sometimes being shaken," Macron told German broadcasters, in remarks released by the French presidency.

Trump's decision to quit the Iran accord left European allies scrambling to save the hard-fought deal, and marks a new blow to multilateralism.

Washington's move to exit the UN climate accord last year, as well as Trump's threat this year to impose punitive tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from countries including allies, had already sparked fears of damage to the long-standing order of cooperation.

Trump's decision to ditch Iran nuclear deal a 'mistake': Macron
Aachen, Germany (AFP) May 9, 2018 - US President Donald Trump's decision to quit the landmark nuclear deal with Iran is a "mistake", France's President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday.

"I regret the decision of the American president. I think it's a mistake and that's why we Europeans have decided to remain in the nuclear agreement of 2015," he told German national broadcasters ARD and Deutsche Welle, according to remarks released by the French presidency.

"I had the chance to tell President (Hassan) Rouhani that just now," he said, referring to a phone call earlier with the Iranian leader.

The French president stressed the importance for the European powers to reaffirm their commitment to the deal.

"The Europeans' decision allows us to prevent Iran from immediately restarting their (nuclear) activities and to avoid escalating tensions," he said.

"What's most important is to maintain stability and peace in the Near and Middle East," he stressed.

Macron, Rouhani to seek 'continued implementation of nuclear deal'
Paris (AFP) May 9, 2018 - French President Emmanuel Macron and Iran's Hassan Rouhani agreed on Wednesday during a phone call to work toward "the continued implementation of the nuclear deal" despite the US decision to withdraw from the agreement, the French presidency said.

"The French and Iranian presidents agreed to pursue their joint efforts with all nations involved, with the aim of continued implementation of the nuclear deal and maintaining regional stability," Macron's office said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he was pulling out of the landmark 2015 nuclear accord, calling it "defective at its core".

It was a stark diplomatic defeat for France, Germany and Britain, which had lobbied hard for Trump to stand by a deal whose terms they say Tehran has largely respected.

But during their call, Macron told Rouhani that France would also seek an expanded accord in a "mutually beneficial framework" covering Iran's ballistic missile development, its involvement in several crises roiling the Middle East, and the prospects for its nuclear programme once the 2015 accord expires in 2025.

Macron's office said France and Iran's foreign ministers would meet "without delay" for talks.

Rouhani had previously warned that Iran could resume uranium enrichment "without limit", though he said he would discuss Iran's response with other parties to the deal before announcing a decision.

Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic programme was for civilian purposes.

World reactions to US move on Iran deal
Paris (AFP) May 9, 2018 - US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal prompted furious reaction in Tehran, regret in Europe and cheers from Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Here are key reactions to Trump's biggest foreign policy move since taking office, turning his back on the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA):

- 'Psychological warfare' -

"This decision was an act of psychological warfare against Iran."

-- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

- Uranium enrichment? -

"I have instructed the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization to take the necessary measures for future actions so that, if necessary, we can resume industrial enrichment without limit."

-- Rouhani

- Stay the course -

"Stay true to your commitments as we will stay true to ours and together with the rest of the international community, we will preserve this nuclear deal."

-- European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini

- 'Regret' -

"France, Germany and the UK regret the US decision... The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake. We will work collectively on a broader framework, covering nuclear activity, the post-2025 period, ballistic activity and stability in the Middle East, notably Syria, Yemen and Iraq."

-- French President Emmanuel Macron, on Twitter

- Let it work -

"I urge the US to avoid taking any action that would hinder other parties from continuing to make the agreement work."

-- British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

- 'No confidence' -

"We hear that you want to continue the nuclear deal with the three European countries. I don't have confidence in these three countries. If you don't succeed in obtaining a definitive guarantee -- and I really doubt that you can -- at that moment, we cannot continue like this."

-- Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an address to the Iranian government

- 'US will lose' -

"Iran will never compromise on this agreement, and will abide by this agreement to the end... However, the US will lose in the end."

-- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a partial transcript of an interview released by CNN

- China defends deal -

"China will continue to uphold an impartial, objective and responsible attitude, remain in dialogue with all parties and continue to devote itself to safeguard and implement the deal."

-- Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang

- Moscow 'disappointed' -

Moscow is "deeply disappointed by the decision of US President Donald Trump to unilaterally refuse to carry out commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action."

-- Russia's foreign ministry

- 'Instability' -

"The unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear deal is a decision that will cause instability and new conflicts."

-- Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Twitter

- Breaking commitment -

Damascus "strongly condemns the US president's decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, which shows once again that the United States is not honouring its commitments and international agreements."

-- Syrian foreign ministry source quoted by the official SANA news agency.

- Compliance -

"I call on other JCPOA participants to abide fully by their respective commitments under the JCPOA and on all other member-states to support this agreement."

-- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

- 'Bold decision' -

"Israel fully supports President Trump's bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear deal with the terrorist regime in Tehran."

-- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

- Saudi support -

"The kingdom supports and welcomes the steps announced by the US president toward withdrawing from the nuclear deal... and reinstating economic sanctions against Iran."

-- Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry

- 'Misguided' -

"The reality is clear. The JCPOA is working... That is why today's announcement is so misguided... I believe that the decision to put the JCPOA at risk without any Iranian violation of the deal is a serious mistake."

-- former US president Barack Obama, whose administration brokered the 2015 deal

- Iran 'implementing ' deal -

"The IAEA can confirm that the nuclear-related commitments are being implemented by Iran."

-- The International Atomic Energy Agency in a statement

Related Links
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Europeans will 'do everything' to protect companies in Iran
Paris (AFP) May 9, 2018
European officials will "do everything" possible to protect the interests of companies working in Iran, which may now be exposed to new US sanctions against the country, an official in the French presidency said Wednesday. Following President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions, European governments are going "to do everything to protect the interests" of their companies, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. French diplo ... read more