EU’s Mogherini says US lawmakers aim to comply with Iran deal

US lawmakers signalled they plan to ensure Washington complies with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal despite President Donald Trump's misgivings about the pact, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Tuesday.

"I got clear indications that the intention is to keep the United States compliant with the agreement," the EU's Federica Mogherini said at a press conference on a visit to Washington.

Under the deal Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions.

Mogherini sought to avoid publicly becoming embroiled in the US congressional debate about what kind of legislation, if any, to pass even as she stressed the EU's desire to see the United States stick with the nuclear agreement.

"I made clear any outcome of any process ... has to be, at the end of the day, compliant with the deal," Mogherini said. She said she had voiced her readiness to help lawmakers "find solutions that are compatible" with US compliance under the agreement.

On 13 October, President Donald Trump defied the will of America's allies and international partners by choosing not to certify that Tehran is complying with the nuclear deal - in a move that may unravel the landmark agreement and bring the US closer to another conflict in the Middle East.

Trump made the announcement in a bombastic speech that outlined a more confrontational approach to Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its support for extremist groups in the Middle East.

"Today I am announcing our strategy along with several major steps we're taking to confront the Iranian regime's hostile actions and to ensure that Iran never - and I mean never - acquires a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

"We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence more terror and the very real threat of Iran’s nuclear breakout."

While Trump did not pull the United States out of the agreement, aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, he gave the US Congress 60 days to decide whether to reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under the pact.

Trump's decision has thrown into doubt the future of the pact negotiated by Iran, the EU and six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.