News / Nuclear Energy / Foreign Policy

US: Iran in ‘technical compliance’ with nuclear deal

Wednesday, 21 March 2018 6:32 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 21 March 2018 7:14 PM ]

A file photo of Brian Hook, director of policy planning at the US State Department.

The United States says Iran is in "technical compliance" with the 2015 international nuclear deal and Washington has had constructive talks about the agreement with its European allies.

"We have had constructive talks with the Europeans towards a supplemental agreement but I can’t predict whether we will reach an agreement with them or not," Brian Hook, the US State Department policy planning director, told reporters in a conference call on Wednesday.

"We always have to prepare for any eventuality and so we are engaged in contingency planning because it would not be responsible not to," Hook, the lead US negotiator in the talks with the Europeans, said. "We are kind of dual tracking this."

Hook had two sets of meetings last week about the nuclear deal with representatives from Britain, France and Germany. The first was held in Berlin on Thursday followed by wider talks on Friday in Vienna.

The United States also had a bilateral meeting with Iran apart from the nuclear talks to demand the release of American citizens held in Iran, Hook said.

PressTV-Trump ‘likely to move away from’ Iran deal

A top Republican senator is warning of US President Donald Trump’s “likely” decision to quit the Iran nuclear deal, suggesting that Europeans are to blame.

US President Donald Trump is approaching a May 12 deadline for a decision on his administrations’ policy towards the nuclear agreement.

Trump has so far failed to make good on his 2016 campaign promise to pull out of the historic deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also endorsed by the UK, Germany, Russia, China and France.

Iran has warned Washington of making the “painful mistake,” while the Islamic Republic remains prepared for various scenarios in case the deal is violated.

Last week, Trump fired US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after a series of public rifts over policy, specifically their dispute on whether or not to stay in the Iran nuclear deal.

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