UK minister visits Iran: Tehran wants Europe to act on nuclear deal
Iranian FM Javad Zarif calls on Europeans to 'act' on political commitment
PHOTO:AFP
IRAN/ BRITAIN:
A British junior minister held talks in Iran on Saturday as Tehran said European states should take action if they wanted to save Iran's nuclear deal following Washington's withdrawal from the accord, Iranian state media reported.
"It is time for the Europeans to act in addition to voicing
their political commitment," the state news agency IRNA quoted
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as telling
reporters.
"These measures may be costly, but if countries want to reap
benefits and if they believe the nuclear accord is an international achievement, they should be ready to keep these achievements," he was quoted as saying.
Pakistan stands by Iran on nuclear deal issue
Britain and other European signatories are trying to keep the nuclear deal alive, despite US President Donald Trump's reimposition of sanctions on Tehran. UK's Junior Foreign Minister Alistair Burt, on the first visit by a British minister since Trump withdrew from the
nuclear deal, earlier met Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi, Iran's state television reported.
Zarif said the talks with Burt had involved "access to banking resources and the sale of oil." Iran has been seeking commitment from European signatories of the nuclear deal that it will be able to access the Western banking system and continue to sell oil despite US sanctions.
In a statement before his visit, Burt said: "As long as Iran
meets its commitments under the deal, we remain committed to it
as we believe it is the best way to ensure a safe, secure future
for the region." Zarif later spoke by telephone with his French counterpart
Jean-Yves Le Drian, state media reported, saying they discussed
bilateral ties, the nuclear deal and regional developments. A day earlier, Iran dismissed a call by Le Drian for negotiations on Tehran's future nuclear plans, its ballistic missile arsenal and its role in wars in Syria and Yemen.
Britain's Burt was also expected to discuss the cases of dual nationals detained in Iran. Britain is seeking the release of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was arrested in April 2016 at a Tehran airport as she headed back to Britain with her daughter, now aged four, after a family visit.
Iran rejects French call for wider talks
She was convicted of plotting to overthrow Iran's clerical
establishment, a charge denied by her family and the Foundation,
a charity organisation that is independent of Thomson Reuters
and operates independently of Reuters News.
Accompanying Burt in Tehran, London's special envoy to Syria
Martin Longden later met senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official Hosein Jaberi Ansari, IRNA reported.
IRNA said Longden had expressed concern about the future of
Idlib and the possibility of the use of chemical weapons there. The Syrian province of Idlib and surrounding areas are the last major enclave held by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close Iranian ally.
A source has told Reuters Assad is preparing a phased offensive to regain the province.
A British junior minister held talks in Iran on Saturday as Tehran said European states should take action if they wanted to save Iran's nuclear deal following Washington's withdrawal from the accord, Iranian state media reported.
"It is time for the Europeans to act in addition to voicing
their political commitment," the state news agency IRNA quoted
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as telling
reporters.
"These measures may be costly, but if countries want to reap
benefits and if they believe the nuclear accord is an international achievement, they should be ready to keep these achievements," he was quoted as saying.
Pakistan stands by Iran on nuclear deal issue
Britain and other European signatories are trying to keep the nuclear deal alive, despite US President Donald Trump's reimposition of sanctions on Tehran. UK's Junior Foreign Minister Alistair Burt, on the first visit by a British minister since Trump withdrew from the
nuclear deal, earlier met Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi, Iran's state television reported.
Zarif said the talks with Burt had involved "access to banking resources and the sale of oil." Iran has been seeking commitment from European signatories of the nuclear deal that it will be able to access the Western banking system and continue to sell oil despite US sanctions.
In a statement before his visit, Burt said: "As long as Iran
meets its commitments under the deal, we remain committed to it
as we believe it is the best way to ensure a safe, secure future
for the region." Zarif later spoke by telephone with his French counterpart
Jean-Yves Le Drian, state media reported, saying they discussed
bilateral ties, the nuclear deal and regional developments. A day earlier, Iran dismissed a call by Le Drian for negotiations on Tehran's future nuclear plans, its ballistic missile arsenal and its role in wars in Syria and Yemen.
Britain's Burt was also expected to discuss the cases of dual nationals detained in Iran. Britain is seeking the release of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was arrested in April 2016 at a Tehran airport as she headed back to Britain with her daughter, now aged four, after a family visit.
Iran rejects French call for wider talks
She was convicted of plotting to overthrow Iran's clerical
establishment, a charge denied by her family and the Foundation,
a charity organisation that is independent of Thomson Reuters
and operates independently of Reuters News.
Accompanying Burt in Tehran, London's special envoy to Syria
Martin Longden later met senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official Hosein Jaberi Ansari, IRNA reported.
IRNA said Longden had expressed concern about the future of
Idlib and the possibility of the use of chemical weapons there. The Syrian province of Idlib and surrounding areas are the last major enclave held by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close Iranian ally.
A source has told Reuters Assad is preparing a phased offensive to regain the province.