 Europe backs Iran deal as 'best way' to counter nuclear threat London (AFP) April 29, 2018 - The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have reiterated their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal "as the best way of neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran", Downing Street said Sunday. Prime Minister Theresa May talked by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday and Sunday when they agreed the current deal also left out some "important elements," it said. "Our priority as an international community remained preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon," it said. "They agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover but which we need to address -- including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran's destabilising regional activity. "They committed to continue working closely together and with the US on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses -- including those issues that a new deal might cover." Both Macron and Merkel held talks in Washington this week with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to quit the 2015 pact with Iran negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama. The pair tried to sell Trump on the idea of the deal being a stepping stone to a longer-term, broader agreement, pitching a "four pillars" solution. The first column is Iran's nuclear program under the current accord. The others would target the country's nuclear activities after 2025 when so-called sunset clauses kick in, beef up global leverage against its regional influence and curtail its ballistic missile program. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday that Trump had not yet decided whether or not to scrap the pact. "He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," he told Fox News.
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US President Donald Trump has not yet decided whether to scrap the Iran nuclear deal, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday.
"He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," Bolton told Fox News Sunday.
"He is certainly considering the framework, the four pillars that President (Emmanuel) Macron laid out in their meeting last week," said Bolton, referring to efforts to supplement the Iran deal with additional measures to make it more palatable to Trump.
The White House later issued a statement saying Trump had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday about Iran.
"The two leaders discussed the continuing threats and challenges facing the Middle East region, especially the problems posed by the Iranian regime's destabilizing activities," it said.
In 2015 the United States, along with other nations, struck a deal with Iran to end a 12-year standoff over that country's nuclear program, which was feared to be leading towards an atomic weapons capability.
Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear program in return for the lifting of punishing international sanctions, but Trump has criticized the deal as not going far enough.
Britain, France and Germany -- the three European countries that signed the Iran nuclear deal -- are working to head off Trump's threat to walk away from the accord and reimpose sanctions.
Trump has called the existing accord "insane" and "ridiculous," in part because its restrictions start to expire in 2025.
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed an additional deal that extends Iran's nuclear restrictions while also curbing its ballistic missile program and support for militias in the Middle East.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani rejected any hopes of rewriting the nuclear deal itself.
Libya denuclearization model for N.Korea: Bolton
Washington (AFP) April 29, 2018 -
Libya's decision to give up its nuclear program through diplomacy is a model for efforts to have North Korea do likewise, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday.
"We have very much in mind the Libya model from 2003, 2004," Bolton told Fox News Sunday when asked if North Korea would have to fully give up its nuclear weapons, fuel and missiles before the US makes concessions.
"There are obviously differences, the Libyan program was much smaller. But that was basically the agreement that we made," Bolton said.
"We'll want to test North Korea in this first meeting for evidence that they have made this strategic decision" to end their program, he said.
But Libya's move to scrap its nuclear program also serves as a model of what North Korea fears will happen: its government was later overthrown by rebel forces supported by Western air strikes.
Pyongyang regularly cites the fates of Saddam Hussein in Iraq -- whose government was overthrown in a US-led invasion -- and Libya's Moamer Kadhafi, as evidence of the need for nuclear arms.
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