MOSCOW: Moscow warned on Monday there would be “negative consequences” if US President Donald Trump fails to uphold the landmark Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor.
Trump has said Tehran is living up to the “spirit” of the agreement.
He is a fierce critic of the 2015 accord, which he has called “the worst deal ever,” and US officials say he intends to tell Congress next week that Tehran is not honoring its side of the bargain.
“Obviously if one country leaves the deal, especially such a key country as the US, then that will have negative consequences,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said.
“We can only try to predict the nature of these consequences, which we are doing now,” Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
Putin has repeatedly hailed the importance of the existing deal, he added.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the nuclear deal was a good example of how to solve something peacefully through talks.
The agreement had played a positive and important role in ensuring nuclear non-proliferation and protecting peace and stability in the Middle East, she added.
“We hope that the comprehensive Iran nuclear agreement can continue to be earnestly implemented,” Hua told a daily news briefing.
The Chinese remarks came as UN atomic agency chief affirmed Iran’s commitment to the nuclear deal.
“I can state that the nuclear-related commitments undertaken by Iran under the (nuclear agreement) are being implemented,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano said in prepared remarks during a conference in Rome.
An IAEA report released last month had also affirmed Iran’s compliance with the program, which froze some of Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Iran’s stock of low-enriched uranium — used for peaceful purposes, but when further processed for a weapon — did not exceed the agreed limit of 300 kg, the report said.
It added that Iran “has not pursued the construction of the Arak... reactor” — which could give it weapons-grade plutonium — and has not enriched uranium above low purity levels.
The EU’s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said Iran’s compliance with the accord had been verified on at least eight separate occasions.
It is time to “invest in international cooperation” and “open new channels and not destroy the ones we already have,” she said by video conference.
It is “certainly not the time to dismantle them.”
Faced with the growing threat from North Korea, “we cannot afford to open a new front,” Mogherini added.
Trump is expected to announce that he is “decertifying” Iran’s compliance with the agreement it signed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
US officials insist this will not sink the deal itself but open the way for Congress to possibly develop new measures to punish other aspects of Iran’s behavior.
Resumed sanctions could derail the accord negotiated with Tehran by former president Barack Obama and other major world powers.
Congress requires the president to certify Iranian compliance with the deal every 90 days. The next certification date is Oct. 15.
Under the law, Congress would then have 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions lifted by the deal.
The landmark deal was signed in July 2015 by Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) plus Germany — establishing controls to prevent Tehran from developing an atomic bomb.
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‘Negative consequences’ if Trump quits Iran deal: Kremlin
‘Negative consequences’ if Trump quits Iran deal: Kremlin
US allies, foes alarmed by capture of Venezuela’s Maduro
- Countries such as Russia and China, which had ties with Maduro’s government, were quick to condemn the operation but alarm also shared by France and EU
Paris — FRA
Paris, France, Jan 3, 2026 : The US military operation that led to the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday sparked alarm across the international community, with allies and foes of Washington and Caracas expressing disquiet.
US President Donald Trump said Maduro and his wife would be taken to New York to face federal charges after military strikes and an operation which he described as looking like a “television show.”
The Venezuelan government decried what it termed a “extremely serious military aggression” by Washington and declared a state of emergency.
Countries such as Russia and Iran, which had longstanding ties with Maduro’s government, were quick to condemn the operation but their alarm was also shared by Washington’s allies including France and the EU.
Here is a rundown of the main reaction.
- Russia -
Russia demanded the US leadership “reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife.”
- China -
Beijing said “China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president.”
- Iran -
Iran, which Trump bombed last year, said it “strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and a flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
- Mexico -
Mexico, which Trump has also threatened with military force over drug trafficking, strongly condemned the US military action in Venezuela, saying it “seriously jeopardizes regional stability.”
- Colombia -
Colombian President Gustavo Petro — whose country neighbors Venezuela — called the US action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
- Brazil -
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed the US attacks as a “serious affront” to Venezuela’s sovereignty.
- Cuba -
Cuba, a strong ally of Venezuela, denounced “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people.”
- Spain -
Spain offered to mediate in the crisis to find a way to a peaceful solution, while calling for “de-escalation and restraint.”
- France -
France condemned the US operation, saying it undermined international law and no solution to Venezuela’s crisis can be imposed from the outside.
- EU -
The EU more generally expressed concern at the developments and urged respect for international law, even as it noted that Maduro “lacks legitimacy.”
EU candidate country North Macedonia, along with fellow Balkan nations Albania and Kosovo, backed Washington, however.
“We stand with the United States and the Venezuelan people for freedom and democracy,” North Macedonia FM Timco Mucunski said on X.
- Britain -
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said all countries should “uphold international law” and added that “the UK was not involved in any way in this operation” as he urged patience in order to “establish the facts.”
- Italy -
In a rare expression of support for the US operation by a major European country, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — a Trump ally — argued the US military action in Venezuela was “legitimate” and “defensive.”
- Israel -
Israel also hailed the operation, saying Washington acted as the “leader of the free world.”
- Ukraine -
Ukraine — dependent on US support in its war against invading Russia — did not address the legality of a big country like America using military force against a much smaller one like Venezuela.
Foreign minister Andriy Sybiga instead focused on Maduro’s lack of legitimacy and the Venezuelan government’s repression, while backing “democracy, human rights, and the interests of Venezuelans.”
- South Africa -
South Africa, which Trump accuses of alleged discrimination — and even “genocide” — of minority white Afrikaners, said: “Unlawful, unilateral force of this nature undermines the stability of the international order and the principle of equality among nations.”
- UN -
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply alarmed” by the US strikes, with his spokesman quoting him as saying it could “constitute a dangerous precedent.”
Paris, France, Jan 3, 2026 : The US military operation that led to the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday sparked alarm across the international community, with allies and foes of Washington and Caracas expressing disquiet.
US President Donald Trump said Maduro and his wife would be taken to New York to face federal charges after military strikes and an operation which he described as looking like a “television show.”
The Venezuelan government decried what it termed a “extremely serious military aggression” by Washington and declared a state of emergency.
Countries such as Russia and Iran, which had longstanding ties with Maduro’s government, were quick to condemn the operation but their alarm was also shared by Washington’s allies including France and the EU.
Here is a rundown of the main reaction.
- Russia -
Russia demanded the US leadership “reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife.”
- China -
Beijing said “China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president.”
- Iran -
Iran, which Trump bombed last year, said it “strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and a flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
- Mexico -
Mexico, which Trump has also threatened with military force over drug trafficking, strongly condemned the US military action in Venezuela, saying it “seriously jeopardizes regional stability.”
- Colombia -
Colombian President Gustavo Petro — whose country neighbors Venezuela — called the US action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
- Brazil -
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed the US attacks as a “serious affront” to Venezuela’s sovereignty.
- Cuba -
Cuba, a strong ally of Venezuela, denounced “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people.”
- Spain -
Spain offered to mediate in the crisis to find a way to a peaceful solution, while calling for “de-escalation and restraint.”
- France -
France condemned the US operation, saying it undermined international law and no solution to Venezuela’s crisis can be imposed from the outside.
- EU -
The EU more generally expressed concern at the developments and urged respect for international law, even as it noted that Maduro “lacks legitimacy.”
EU candidate country North Macedonia, along with fellow Balkan nations Albania and Kosovo, backed Washington, however.
“We stand with the United States and the Venezuelan people for freedom and democracy,” North Macedonia FM Timco Mucunski said on X.
- Britain -
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said all countries should “uphold international law” and added that “the UK was not involved in any way in this operation” as he urged patience in order to “establish the facts.”
- Italy -
In a rare expression of support for the US operation by a major European country, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — a Trump ally — argued the US military action in Venezuela was “legitimate” and “defensive.”
- Israel -
Israel also hailed the operation, saying Washington acted as the “leader of the free world.”
- Ukraine -
Ukraine — dependent on US support in its war against invading Russia — did not address the legality of a big country like America using military force against a much smaller one like Venezuela.
Foreign minister Andriy Sybiga instead focused on Maduro’s lack of legitimacy and the Venezuelan government’s repression, while backing “democracy, human rights, and the interests of Venezuelans.”
- South Africa -
South Africa, which Trump accuses of alleged discrimination — and even “genocide” — of minority white Afrikaners, said: “Unlawful, unilateral force of this nature undermines the stability of the international order and the principle of equality among nations.”
- UN -
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply alarmed” by the US strikes, with his spokesman quoting him as saying it could “constitute a dangerous precedent.”
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