UN chief "deeply concerned" by US decision to exit Iran nuclear deal

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he is "deeply concerned" over President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, calling on all other nations to support the agreement and preserve the deal.

Trump made the announcement at the White House yesterday and signed a memorandum to begin reinstating economic sanctions on Iran at "the highest level".

In a statement released shortly afterwards, Guterres said he was "deeply concerned" by the announcement that the US would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reinstate sanctions on Iran.

"I have consistently reiterated that the JCPOA represents a major achievement in nuclear non-proliferation and diplomacy and has contributed to regional and international peace and security," he said.

The JCPOA reached by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the US and the European Union sets out rigorous mechanisms for monitoring restrictions placed on Iran's nuclear programme, while paving the way for the lifting UN sanctions against the country.

"It is essential that all concerns regarding the implementation of the Plan be addressed through the mechanisms established in the JCPOA," Guterres said, adding that "issues not directly related to the JCPOA" should be addressed separately, "without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments."
Earlier this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a statement saying that according to its December 2015 Board of Governors report, "the agency had no credible indication of activities in Iran relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device after 2009."