Trump holds talks with May on Iran, N Korea

WASHINGTON, May 06 (Agencies): US President Donald Trump spoke with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday on issues including the Iran nuclear deal, a week before the president is to decide whether Washington will leave the pact, the White House said.

Trump is set to decide by May 12 whether to withdraw from the 2015 Iran deal, in which the Islamic Republic agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has all but decided to withdraw, White House officials said on May 02.

Still, Trump could figure out a way to stay in the deal between the Islamic Republic and six world powers: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Britain, France and Germany agreed that the deal is the best way of stopping Tehran from getting nuclear weapons, May's office said in late April.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Trump to stay in the deal when he met with the president in Washington last month.

In the call with May, Trump "underscored his commitment to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon," the White House said.

The two also talked about nuclear issues in North Korea. "As planning continues for his upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Trump emphasized his goal of a denuclearized North Korea," the White House said.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is traveling to Washington on Sunday for a two-day visit, when he will meet Vice President Mike Pence and national security adviser John Bolton, for talks on Iran, North Korea, Syria and other issues, Britain said.

Meanwhile, North Korea Sunday warned Washington that claiming Pyongyang was forced into talks by US pressure risked returning the peninsula "back to square one", as the world awaits a landmark summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump.

The pair are set for the first ever face-to-face meeting between a sitting American president and North Korean leader, with a date and venue to be announced soon, Trump said Friday.

Their meeting comes after a historic summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the demilitarised zone that divides their countries, during which Kim gave a tentative commitment to ridding the North of its nuclear weapons and facilities.

Trump has credited his "maximum pressure" campaign of tough rhetoric and tightened sanctions for a breakthrough with Pyongyang, saying last week that Washington's "strength is going to keep us out of nuclear war".

But a spokesman for the North's foreign ministry accused the US of "deliberately provoking" Pyongyang in an effort to undermine the current "atmosphere of dialogue".

Describing Pyongyang's recent move as a "sign of weakness" would "not be conducive" to talks, and may "bring the situation back to square one", he added.

The spokesman did not explicitly mention the Kim-Trump summit, and Pyongyang has yet to make any formal announcement of their planned meeting.