IAEA says Iran implementing nuclear deal as UN, EU, Russia back agreement

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the nuclear deal with Iran has significantly improved access to the country. Cornel Seruta, a senior official at the IAEA, said that “Iran is now subject to the most robust nuclear verification regime and Iran is implementing its nuclear-related commitments” under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). US allies and rivals spoke out in support of the deal on Monday, bolstering French President Emmanuel Macron’s pitch to US President Donald Trump that there was no ‘Plan B’ for keeping a lid on Tehran’s atomic ambitions, Reuters reports. The JCPOA “continues to be the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and to realize the promised tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people,” UN high representative for disarmament affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, said. On a visit to Beijing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he had agreed with his Chinese counterpart to block any US attempt to sabotage the deal.