Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced an agreement with his Chinese counterpart, in which Moscow and Beijing would work together to block any attempt by Washington to “sabotage” the nuclear agreement with Iran. After meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, Lavrov emphasized it was unacceptable to reconsider the agreement that was formulated and agreed upon by the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. “We and China have a united position. This document was approved by the highest organ responsible for maintaining global security, the United Nations Security Council. And to reconsider such agreements is not acceptable. To do so, would be an attempt to revise one of the greatest achievements of international diplomacy of recent times. We and the People’s Republic of China will do all we can to counteract this, so as not to allow a similar, extremely dangerous development of the event,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
The announcement from the East came amid an official visit by French President Emmanuel Macron in Washington, in what is perceived as a concentrated effort by the French leader at convincing his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, to preserve the 2015 nuclear agreement. Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister, who is currently on a visit to New York, said at the Council on Foreign Relations that Tehran would not accept any amendments and that the prospects of preserving the nuclear agreement were bad, considering the approach of the Trump Administration. “My aim is to start a process that I can have some hope. I mean, you cannot start a process just because, I mean, stop the process, or not engage, just because of a fear of failure. But at least you need to have some hope of success, some prospect for success, in order for this process to start. And I do not believe that, under the present circumstances, with the present tone, and language and approach of the current administration in Washington, you would have much prospect,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad zarif said.
President Trump has set a deadline on May 12th for Washington’s European allies, including Paris, London and Berlin, to “fix the flaws” of the multinational deal. Trump demands the deal to include limiting Iran’s ballistic missiles program, which has the capacity of carrying nuclear war-heads, as well as Tehran’s aggressive policies across the chaotic Middle East. Nevertheless, France, Britain and Germany encountered challenges among EU-member states to impose new sanctions that could satisfy Washington. Meanwhile, in an interview Chancellor Angela Merkel gave to Israel’s Channel 10, the German leader emphasized Berlin’s position, in which the current agreement, even if it is not perfect, is better than having no agreement at-all. “Prime Minister Netanyahu believes that the nuclear agreement with Iran does not bring the security that Israel desires, and we believe it is better to have that agreement, even if it is not perfect, than no agreement. But we will continue to discuss that, but Germany will be very careful to ensure that this agreement is respected, and that does not solve all the problems – the missile program, Iran’s ballistic program, is very concerning, and that is why we are now in talks with Britain, France and the United States of America on how to make additional progress in this area,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
Meanwhile in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated concerns about the nuclear agreement, while emphasizing that Israel will not allow regimes that seek its annihilation to acquire nuclear weapons. “Israel will not allow regimes that seek our annihilation to acquire nuclear weapons. This is why we opposed so resolutely the Iran deal, because it gives Iran a clear path to a nuclear arsenal. It allows, over a few years, unlimited enrichment of uranium, the core ingredient required to produce nuclear bombs—and nothing else—and it also does not deal with the ballistic missiles that can deliver this weapon to many, many countries. This is why this deal has to be either fully fixed or fully nixed,” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu made his remarks during a celebratory gathering for Israel’s 70th independence with diplomats from around the world, including the Ambassadors of countries that signed the nuclear agreement with Iran – the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain plus Germany.