Iran nuclear deal under review as uncertainty grows

Iran鈥檚 Under-Secretary for European and American Affairs and senior diplomats from other six major powers meet in Vienna. (AFP)

VIENNA: Iran and major powers met Tuesday in Vienna to review adherence to their 2015 nuclear deal as uncertainty grows about the landmark accord鈥檚 future under US President Donald Trump.
The regular quarterly meeting was expected to hear, as Washington confirmed last week, that Iran is sticking to its side of the deal with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
The accord saw Tehran drastically curb its nuclear activities in order to ease concerns that Iran wanted to build an atomic bomb. In return nuclear-related Western and UN sanctions were lifted.
However, Trump has ordered a 90-day review, saying last Thursday that Iran was 鈥渘ot living up to the spirit鈥� of the 鈥渢errible鈥� deal because of its actions in other areas.
This refers to Iran鈥檚 support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, rebels in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and in Lebanon as well as Tehran鈥檚 ballistic missile program.
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday the review would examine the nuclear accord 鈥渋n the larger context of Iran鈥檚 role in the region and in the world, and then adjust accordingly.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last Wednesday expressed misgivings about the nuclear deal itself, in particular the time limits in key areas.
Iran cut the number of centrifuges that 鈥渆nrich鈥� uranium 鈥� making it suitable for power generation and at high purities for a bomb 鈥� from about 19,000 to 5,000.
Together with other restrictions and ultra-tight UN inspections, Iran pledged to stay at this level for 10 years and not to enrich uranium above low purities for 15 years.
Its uranium stockpile will also stay below 300 kilos (660 pounds) 鈥� well short of what would be needed for an atomic bomb 鈥� for 15 years.
Tillerson said the accord 鈥渇ails to achieve the objective of a non-nuclear Iran鈥� and had been a way of 鈥渂uying off鈥� Tehran 鈥渇or a short period of time.鈥�
Iran is not happy either, with critics of President Hassan Rouhani 鈥� facing a tough battle for re-election next month 鈥� charging that the nuclear deal has failed to provide all the promised economic benefits.
While nuclear-related sanctions were lifted, those related to human rights or missiles remained or have been expanded, frustrating Iran鈥檚 efforts to boost trade.
Last week Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded to Trump鈥檚 comments by saying that Washington was failing to live up not just to the spirit of the nuclear deal, but its wording as well.
鈥淪o far, it has defied both,鈥� Zarif said on Twitter.
Tuesday鈥檚 鈥淛oint Commission鈥� meeting among senior diplomats was held behind closed doors 鈥� in the same plush Vienna hotel where the deal was hammered out 鈥� with no press events planned.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran鈥檚 deputy foreign minister, was representing Iran in the talks. Iranian news agency IRNA quoted him as saying that Iran was adhering to the deal but that this did not completely hold true for the other side.