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European powers call on Iran to cooperate with UN nuclear watchdog

European powers on Friday called on Iran to cooperate with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, after Tehran warned that undue pressure from the US and Israel could jeopardise the agency’s activities in Iran.

In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany and the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called on Tehran “to cooperate with the IAEA on all relevant matters, including safeguards issues”.

The four European signatories of the 2015 accord on Iran’s nuclear programme said they were “deeply concerned” by an IAEA report that showed Iran was installing advanced centrifuges.

Expressing fears that the nuclear deal “further unravels”, they urged Iran “to reverse all activities that are inconsistent with its commitments”.

US President Donald Trump last year pulled out of the deal on curbing Iran’s nuclear programme and reimposed crippling economic sanctions, throwing the accord into jeopardy.

European powers led by French President Emmanuel Macron have been scrambling to try to save the accord and to convince Iran, which has begun reneging on some of its nuclear commitments, to abide by the agreement.

Tehran on Wednesday accused the US and Israel of applying “undue pressure” on the IAEA to vet its nuclear programme and warned it could be “counterproductive” to its cooperation with the agency.

Tehran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Kazem Gharib Abadi, said statements by Israel and the US could jeopardise Iran’s “constructive, timely and proactive cooperation” with the watchdog.