U.S. says will fully implement Iran nuclear deal

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said on Friday she was reassured during meetings with President Donald Trump’s administration that the United States was committed to full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.

Mogherini said her main intention in coming to Washington was to discuss the accord, negotiated by Iran, the United States and other world powers in 2015, which granted Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

Mogherini said it was important that the deal remains an international agreement. Her visit suggests concern from other countries, including Russia and China, that the Trump administration could withdraw from the deal.

“I was reassured by what I heard in the meetings on the intention to stick to the full implementation of the agreement,” Mogherini told reporters a day after talks at the White House and State Department.

She said the Trump administration made clear it had not decided on a new American ambassador to the EU, and had also not decided on a way forward on stalled U.S.-European trade talks.

All 28 members of the EU would have to consent to the US choice for ambassador, under a long-standing tradition.

Mogherini said she also discussed Russia in her meetings with members of the Trump administration, and they agreed that Russia should abide by the terms of the 2015 agreement negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in Minsk, Belarus, to end fighting in eastern Ukraine.

U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Russia of violating the agreement. Russian officials accuse Ukraine of violating the deal.

“We agreed on the need to have full implementation of the Minsk agreement and that sanctions are linked to the full implementation of the agreement,” Mogherini said.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress as well as U.S. allies have expressed concern that Trump will be too conciliatory towards Moscow, including by granting Russia relief from sanctions imposed under the Obama administration which target its energy, defense, and finance industries.