Iran FM slams 鈥榳orn-out鈥� US nuclear accusations

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. (AFP)

TEHRAN: Iran鈥檚 Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif on Thursday criticized 鈥渨orn-out鈥� US accusations that it was seeking a nuclear weapon to threaten the region and the world.
鈥淲orn-out US accusations can鈥檛 mask its admission of Iran鈥檚 compliance鈥� with a 2015 nuclear deal, Zarif wrote on Twitter.
Iran says its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes but signed a deal with world powers to restrict its fuel enrichment for 10 years in exchange for sanctions relief.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that Tehran has so far met its obligations, but that the deal could only delay Iran鈥檚 development of a nuclear weapon.
The deal 鈥渇ails to achieve the objective of a non-nuclear Iran,鈥� he said, and was a product of 鈥渢he same failed approach of the past that brought us to the current imminent threat we face from North Korea.鈥�
Zarif said Iran鈥檚 compliance had forced the US administration of President Donald Trump 鈥渢o change course and fulfill its own commitments.鈥�
Trump described the accord as the 鈥渨orst deal ever negotiated鈥� during his campaign and threatened to tear it up, but analysts say that is increasingly unlikely.
Trump鈥檚 spokesman Sean Spicer said a review would be conducted by US government agencies over the next 90 days on whether to stick by the deal.