Trump, Macron hint at new Iran N-deal

Washington, April 25: US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have suggested there could be a new agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, media reports said. The visiting French President on Tuesday proposed to work with other parties to forge the new deal amid bilateral divergences on several issues remaining, as his state visit drew to a close, Xinhua news agency reported. Speaking at a joint press conference with Trump, Macron said the current Iran nuke deal, internationally known as the JCPOA signed in 2015, was not “sufficient”.

However, it still “enabled us, at least until 2025, to have some control over their nuclear activities”, he added, saying: “We therefore wish, from now on, to work on a new deal with Iran.” After the talks, Trump, who is sceptical of the 2015 accord, also spoke about “doing a much bigger... deal”, the BBC reported. Macron said a new pact must cover Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its role in the Middle East.

Iran had warned of “severe consequences” if the US withdrew from the deal.

In 2015, Iran had agreed to mothball its nuclear programme in return for an easing of economic sanctions on Tehran. Trump has been threatening to reject an extension of the Barcak Obama-era nuclear pact reached between Tehran and world powers by a May 12 deadline, the BBC report said. (IANS)

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