EU, Russia, China rally behind Iran after Trump's move

The EU, Russia, China and Turkey have rallied behind Iran, trying to salvage the international nuclear pact after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the landmark accord.

Reuters quoted a source at the French presidency as saying Wednesday that France and its European allies will work hard to safeguard the interests of their businesses in Iran.

"We will obviously do everything, in conjunction with our businesses, to protect their interests," the source said.

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 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 told RTL radio on Wednesday. 

He said French President Emmanuel Macron would speak to his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, later on Wednesday.

The contact would be followed by meetings next week, probably on Monday, involving the Iranians and European representatives from France, Britain and Germany, Le Drian added.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire described Trump's decision on Iran as a mistake, saying Washington should not consider itself the world's "economic policeman."

The 2015 agreement, worked out by the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China and Iran, lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program. 

Trump said Tuesday that he would reinstate nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Germany "will try to keep alive this important agreement, which ensures the Middle East and the world as a whole are safer."

Russia's acting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said Moscow remained committed to the Iran nuclear deal, Interfax news agency reported. China voiced regret over Trump's decision and vowed to "safeguard" the agreement. "China regrets this decision made by the US," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.

Geng said China will maintain "normal economic and trade exchanges" with Iran despite Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 accord and reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

"China calls on all relevant parties to assume a responsible attitude" in order "to return at an early date to the right track of implementing the deal," he said.

SS