WASHINGTON: French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart Donald Trump called jointly Tuesday for a new nuclear deal with Iran, after the US leader denounced the three-year-old accord as “insane.”
“I can say that we have had very frank discussions on that, just the two of us,” Macron told a joint press conference.
“We, therefore, wish from now on to work on a new deal with Iran.”
Trump’s European allies have repeatedly tried to persuade him not to walk away from the 2015 deal, which gave Iran massive sanctions relief and the guarantee of a civilian nuclear program in return for curbs on programs that could be used to develop an atomic weapon.
“This is a deal with decayed foundations. It’s a bad deal, it’s a bad structure. It’s falling down,” the US leader said. “We’re going to see what happens on the 12th.”
Trump faces a May 12 deadline to decide on its fate and is demanding changes that many in European capitals believe would represent a legal breach.
The deal did not tackle western complaints about Iran’s ballistic missile programs or support for militant groups across the Middle East.
The French president said a new deal would have to include three additional elements: Tehran’s ballistic missile program, its influence across the Middle East, and what happens after 2025 — when under the current accord Iran would be able to progressively restart part of its nuclear program.
He called the initial 2015 deal only the “first pillar” of an eventual wider deal.
Iran, meanwhile, has warned it will ramp up enrichment activities if Trump walks away from the accord, prompting Trump to issue a blunt warning.
“They’re not going to be restarting anything. If they restart it, they’re going to have big problems, bigger than they ever had before. And you can mark it down,” the US president said.
President Donald Trump welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House in a formal arrival ceremony.
The president and first lady greeted Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, on a rolled-out red carpet on the South Lawn.
The arrival was heavy on pomp, with nearly 500 US service-members from all five military branches participating in the ceremonial welcome, which included a “Review of the Troops.”
Vice President Mike Pence and several members of Trump’s Cabinet, lawmakers, and military families were in attendance. The audience included students from the Maya Angelou French Immersion School in Temple Hills, Maryland.
The two leaders are spending the morning in meetings and then will hold a joint news conference.
The pageantry of Macron’s official state visit, the first of the Trump presidency, comes Tuesday night with a lavish state dinner at the White House. About 150 guests are expected to dine on rack of lamb and nectarine tart and enjoy an after-dinner performance by the Washington National Opera.
Monday night was more relaxed, featuring a helicopter tour of Washington landmarks and a trip to the Potomac River home of George Washington for dinner.
Pomp and ceremony aside, Trump and Macron disagree on some fundamental issues. A prime dividing point is the multinational Iran nuclear deal, which Trump wants to abandon.
