France to push for Iran deal regardless of US

Speaking to RTL radio, French Defence Minister Florence Parly said, "this agreement is not the best one in the world".

"But without being perfect, it still has its virtues... and they (the Iranians) are respecting it," she said.

US President Donald Trump is widely expected to make good on his threat to reimpose sanctions on Tehran and throw out the entire Iran nuclear deal.

Trump had until Saturday to decide whether to renew a waiver on one package of US sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector that had been lifted as part of Washington's commitment under the 2015 deal.

"I will be announcing my decision on the Iran Deal tomorrow from the White House at 2:00 pm (6pm GMT)," the president said in a tweet.

The president may now also decide to announce the fate of the rest of Washington's nuclear-related sanctions, which are covered by different waivers, and effectively undermine the entire accord, reached between Tehran and six world powers.

European leaders and diplomats - including the UK's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who was in Washington on Monday - have been pleading with the US to retain the core of what Trump called the "very badly negotiated" accord.

"Iran is a power that is looking to exercise its influence across the region. That is why it's involved in Syria," where it is supporting President Bashar al-Assad against opposition rebel groups, Parly said.

Iran's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Lebanese armed group Hizballah in Syria's civil war and Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen have added to tension between Tehran and Western powers.

Iran's presence in Syria has also increased tensions with nearby Israel, which has carried out several strikes on targets in the war-torn country in recent weeks.

"We can see that any escalation... that could lead Iran not to respect the deal that was signed, including by the United States, would only aggravate what is already a very tense situation," Parly said.

Some Iranian leaders have signalled they might seek to rapidly restore the enrichment capabilities they surrendered under the deal, and European capitals fear Tehran may resume the hunt for a bomb.

Tehran has long insisted it has no ambition to build nuclear weapons, but the signatories to the deal never believed them, and supporters of the accord have warned of a Middle East arms race if it fails.

And they are sceptical that Trump's administration has a back-up plan to restrain Iranian ambitions once he has made good on his campaign promise to tear up a deal endorsed by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday issued a strong warning to the United States not to quit the pact.

"If the United States leaves the nuclear agreement, you will soon see that they will regret it like never before in history," Rouhani said.

He also vehemently reiterated his country's opposition to curtailing its non-nuclear missile capabilities, insisting Tehran "will build as many missiles and weapons as needed".