By: Gazette Staff CAIRO, May 9, 2018 - Egypt is closely following up the US decision to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. "Egypt understands the US and international keenness to address all regional and international concerns related to the nuclear deal with Iran and Iran's interference in the internal affairs of the Arab countries," the Ministry added. The statement called on Iran to "fulfil its obligations in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the comprehensive safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency." It also urged Iran to maintain its status as a non-nuclear state in order to make the Middle East free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, promoting stability and peace in the region. Egypt renews its firm stance on the need to preserve the security and stability of the region and the safety of its peoples, the statement added. Moreover, the statement voiced "Egypt's deep concern about any policies aimed at expanding the influence in the Arab world and the negative impact on the national security of Arab countries." Egypt stressed the importance of the participation of all the Arab parties in dialogues on the future of the region, in particular the possibility of amending the nuclear deal with Iran, added the statement. It expressed its hope that current developments will not result in any armed conflicts that would threaten regional stability and security, the statement concluded. In a related development, dismayed European allies sought to salvage the international nuclear pact with Iran yester after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the landmark accord, while Tehran poured scorn on the US leader. "The deal is not dead. There's an American withdrawal from the deal but the deal is still there," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said according to Reuters. France's Le Drian said Iran was honouring its commitments under the accord. "The region deserves better than further destabilization provoked by American withdrawal. So we want to adhere to it and see to it that Iran does too, that Iran behaves with restraint," he told French radio station RTL. France and others were well aware that there were concerns about issues other than nuclear capability, but they could be addressed without ditching the nuclear deal, Le Drian said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had backed the deal only reluctantly and remained suspicious of Washington, said: "Mr Trump, I tell you on behalf of the Iranian people: You've made a mistake." Trump announced on Tuesday he would reimpose US economic sanctions on Iran to undermine what he called "a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made". The 2015 agreement, worked out by the United States, five other world powers and Iran, lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear programme. The fruit of more than a decade of diplomacy, the pact was designed to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear bomb. Trump complained that the deal, the signature foreign policy achievement of his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, did not address Iran's ballistic missile programme, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 or its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria. His decision raises the risk of deepening conflicts in the Middle East, puts the United States at odds with European diplomatic and business interests, and casts uncertainty over global oil supplies. Oil prices rose more than 2 per cent yesterday, with Brent hitting a 3-1/2-year high. [O/R] It could also strengthen the hand of hardliners at the expense of reformers in Iran's political scene. The European Union said it would remain committed to the deal and would ensure sanctions on Iran remain lifted, as long as Tehran meets its commitments. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said it was "totally unclear what the US envisages as an alternative to the deal". Russia has also said it remains committed to the deal; the Russian and German foreign ministers were also due to meet in Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said. The prospects of saving the deal depend in large measure on whether international companies are willing and able still to do business with Iran despite the US sanctions. Le Drian said meetings would also be held with firms including oil giant Total (TOTF.PA) and others with major business and economic stakes in the region. In a harbinger of what could be in store, Trump's new ambassador to Germany said German businesses should halt their activities in Iran immediately. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the United States should not consider itself the world's "economic policeman". European companies including carmaker PSA (PEUP.PA), plane manufacturer Airbus (AIR.PA) and engineering group Siemens (SIEGn.DE) said they were keeping a close eye on the situation. On his official website, Khamenei said Trump's announcement of his decision had been "silly and superficial", adding: "He had maybe more than 10 lies in his comments." Iranian lawmakers in parliament burned a US flag and a symbolic copy of the deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and chanted "Death to America!". President Hassan Rouhani, a reformist who had hoped that the deal would boost living standards in Iran, struck a more pragmatic tone in a televised speech, saying Iran would negotiate with European countries, China and Russia. "If at the end of this short period we conclude that we can fully benefit from the JCPOA with the cooperation of all countries, the deal will remain," he said. Trump's decision adds to the strain on the transatlantic alliance since he took office 16 months ago. One by one, European leaders came to Washington and tried to meet his demands, while pleading with him to preserve the deal. The Trump administration kept the door open to negotiating another deal with allies, but it is far from clear whether the Europeans would pursue that option or be able to convince Iran to accept it. The leaders of Britain, Germany and France, signatories to the deal along with China and Russia, said in a joint statement that Trump's decision was a cause for "regret and concern". China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing would defend the deal and urged parties "to assume a responsible attitude". A Western diplomat was more pointed. "It announces sanctions for which the first victims will be Trump's European allies," the diplomat said, adding that it was clear Trump did not care about the alliance. Abandoning the pact was one of the most consequential decisions of Trump's "America First" policy, which has led him to quit the global Paris climate accord, come close to a trade war with China and pull out of an Asian-Pacific trade deal.
