Rouhani threatens to quit nuke deal if interests not secured
Tehran, July 6 : Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has reiterated that if Iran's interests within the 2015 nuclear deal are not secured, it may leave the accord, Press TV reported on Thursday.
During a meeting in the Austrian capital of Vienna, Rouhani told Yukiya Amano, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that Iran might reconsider its cooperation level with the international nuclear watchdog.
Iran has proved that its nuclear activities have always been peaceful, Rouhani said, referring to the IAEA reports issued following the signing of the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran has been committed to its obligations under the deal, he stressed. Besides IAEA regular inspections to Iran's nuclear sites, Iran has allowed short-notice inspections carried out under the IAEA Additional Protocol.
Tehran will decide on the level of its cooperation with the IAEA, if the world fails to save the deal and Iran's interests therein, Rouhani said.
The 2015 pact between six major powers and Iran restricts its nuclear activities in exchange for the easing of the sanctions on the Islamic republic.
However, US President Donald Trump has urged the IAEA to widen its inspections to Iran's military sites despite his decision on May 8 to pull out of the deal. The demands have been rejected by Iran.
Rouhani started on Monday his visits to Switzerland and Austria as Iran and the European Union are holding talks on how to save the nuclear deal despite the US pullout.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
