Europe urges US not to scrap Iran nuclear deal

BRUSSELS, Jan 11 (Agencies): Senior European diplomats have urged the US not to kill off the Iran nuclear deal, as President Donald Trump mulls whether to reimpose sanctions on the country.

Trump had vowed to rip up the agreement during his election campaign and has repeatedly referred to it as "the worst deal ever," accusing Iran of violating the "spirit" of the pact.

European nations, who helped broker the deal with the Obama administration, on Thursday urged Trump to sign the latest sanctions waiver required to keep the deal alive.

Speaking in Brussels after a meeting with foreign ministers from Iran, the UK, France and Germany, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, said that all ministers agreed to the "the full and effective implementation of the agreement" to make sure the suspension of sanctions had a positive impact, "including benefits for the Iranian people."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made a direct appeal to the US to sign off on the waiver, which must be done by Friday, saying France "remains extremely vigilant of the implementation" of the agreement. "All parties should uphold the deal," he said.

"It is also necessary that our US allies do the same and should be seen doing the same," he added, speaking through a translator.

The 2015 deal was brokered by the Obama administration, along with the UK, Russia, France, Germany and China.

It obliged Iran to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the waiver of sanctions that had crippled the country's economy.

Meanwhile, the European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini on Thursday insisted the Iran nuclear deal "is working", as US President Donald Trump mulls reimposing sanctions on Tehran.

"The deal is working, it is delivering on its main goal which means keeping the Iranian nuclear programme in check and under close surveillance," Mogherini said after talks in Brussels with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his British, French and German counterparts.

Senior officials have told AFP they "expect" Trump to extend waivers on sanctions against Iran on Friday to keep the US in line with the 2015 deal, which the president has repeatedly lambasted.

The European Union and Britain, Germany and France-which all played a key role in the hard-fought accord-once again closed ranks to back the deal, which curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for the relaxing of punishing sanctions.

Mogherini said it was vital to preserve an agreement that is "making the world safer and that is preventing a potential nuclear arms race in the region".

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Europe wanted to protect the deal "against every possible undermining decision".