China reiterates call to continue upholding Iran nuclear deal

[May 02, 2018]  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Wednesday reiterated that all sides should continue to uphold the Iran nuclear agreement, and that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said many times Iran is in compliance with the deal.

Speaking at a daily news briefing, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had noted reports about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiling what he called evidence of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons program as well as the reaction sparked by the disclosure.

The IAEA is the only international body with the right to supervise the agreement and make judgments about it, and China has noted that the agency has said several times Iran is in compliance, Hua said.

All sides need to continue upholding the pact, she added.

Israel said on Tuesday it does not seek war with Iran and suggested U.S. President Donald Trump backed Israel's latest attempt to kill the 2015 Iran nuclear deal by disclosing the purported evidence of past Iranian nuclear arms work.

Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry, speaks at a regular news conference in Beijing, China, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee

China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, was one of the architects of the agreement, and has said many times it should continue to be upheld by all the signatories.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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