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Pence: Europe Either Goes With US or Stays in 'Deeply Flawed' Iran Nuclear Deal

11:05 GMT, 23 January 2018
© Photo : Matthias Schrader
The US VP, who delivered a pro-Israeli speech in Israel' parliament during his official visit to the country, told Israeli leaders on Tuesday that Washington will pull out of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal if it is not 'fixed' in the coming months.
Sputnik

Commenting on the issue of the agreement, which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Pence said that the European community should decide if it supports the United States or wants to remain in what he called a "deeply flawed" deal. The comment comes a day after UK Prime Minister Theresa May said during a meeting with US State Secretary Rex Tillerson that London remained committed to the agreement.

Speaking in Israel's parliament on Monday, Pence described the highly contested deal as a "disaster" and promised that the Trump administration would "never allow" Tehran to have "nuclear weapons."

Pence: New Iran Legislation Will Replace 10-Year Moratorium on Nuclear Deal
3 January 2018, 23:38 GMT
US President Donald Trump has criticized the JCPOA, calling it the "worst deal ever." In January, he said he would allow the suspension of nuclear-related sanctions against Iran for 120 days for the period of negotiations with Europe where the agreement would be overhauled. At the same time, Germany said it would consult its EU partners on a common approach to waive sanctions.

The 2015 pact between Tehran and six world powers stipulated that anti-Iran sanctions would end if Tehran maintains the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israeli Excavation Bolsters Biblical Narrative of Jerusalem 'Governor'
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Touching upon the issue of the spike in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of Trump's acknowledgment of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Pence said that the "US door" is open for further talks. He also said that these messages will be conveyed to Palestinians by the leaders of Egypt and Jordan, which he has visited recently. He added that the timetable for Washington's new plan on Middle East settlement depends on how soon Palestinians will be ready for the continuation of the talks.

Pence went on to say that the State Department will unveil the plan for the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Benjamin Netanyahu's Post

Asked if he wanted to see Israel's Prime Minister re-elected, the US Vice President said he would back Netanyahu, but Israelis are to decide.

Netanyahu is under investigation for allegedly accepting gifts worth of hundreds of thousands of shekels and has faced criticism among Israelis, with thousands of people protesting across the country.

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