Following Washington's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the Islamic republic's supreme leader has laid out his country's conditions for upholding its side of the landmark accord with world powers.

The following excerpts from an address by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Iranian officials, published on Thursday, outline Iran's demands of Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany if the deal is to survive:

- 'Protest US action' -

"The US withdrawal is a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (establishing the nuclear deal). The Europeans need to table a resolution against the US to protest this action."

- 'No objections to missiles' -

"The heads of the three European nations must promise not to raise any objections to Iranian missiles or Iran's presence in the region. Everyone should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran will never give up elements of its power, especially concerning questions of defence."

The US has levied sanctions against Tehran for its ballistic missile programme and labels Iranian regional proxy groups such as Hezbollah as "terrorist" entities.

- 'Safeguard oil sales' -

"If the US succeeds in disturbing Iranian oil sales, the Europeans must promise to buy whatever quantity we wish to sell."

US President Donald Trump triggered fears for Iran's economy earlier this month when he pulled his country from the 2015 deal.

World powers and signatories have since rallied around the accord, which imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of punishing economic sanctions.

The prospect of new American sanctions on Tehran has already caused some European firms to indicate they will pull out of business ventures in Iran.

- 'Concrete guarantees' -

Khamenei has said Iran could resume its uranium enrichment up to 20 percent should the deal collapse. The accord limits Tehran to enriching uranium to 3.67 percent, well short of weapons-grade strength.

"Iran is not seeking discord with the Europeans but given their past behaviour we cannot trust them," Khamenei said. "For this reason the guarantees must be concrete."

Merkel, Chinese premier defend Iran deal, free trade
Beijing (AFP) May 24, 2018 - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang defended the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday, with Li hinting a collapse in the pact would complicate negotiations to disarm North Korea.

The pair also launched a spirited defence of free trade -- another issue that the global community feels is under attack from US President Donald Trump's strident rhetoric -- during their meeting at the opulent Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Earlier this month Trump reimposed US sanctions on Iran that had been eased as part of an agreement aimed at halting Tehran's nuclear programme.

Li warned that abandoning the deal with Tehran "will not just impact Iran, but also have a negative impact on (the ability) to solve other hot international issues through peaceful negotiations".

He did not mention North Korea by name, but analysts have warned that Trump's move has dented Washington's negotiating credibility ahead of his scheduled meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month.

The German leader also sounded the alarm about the economic impact of the move on Europe.

Supporters fear the reimposition of US sanctions could hit European firms that have done business with Iran since the 2015 accord was signed.

If European companies pull out or shrink operations in Iran to avoid falling foul of US law, it would "create an opportunity for businesses in other countries to step in and play a greater role", Merkel said.

At a meeting with President Xi Jinping, Merkel welcomed Chinese moves to reduce automobile import tariffs and allow foreign carmakers to own a majority stake in joint ventures with Chinese partners.

"We mustn't rest on our laurels" Merkel told Xi, noting the "world is changing very quickly" and the question of market access and reciprocity was becoming more important as Chinese firms push into Germany.

European and American leaders have long complained that it is difficult to do business in China.

The Chancellor reiterated Berlin's demand for Beijing to ease barriers on foreign investment, saying the two countries would sign a memorandum of understanding to offer mutual access to each others' markets for autonomous vehicles.

"China and Germany are on the path of promoting multilateralism and bolstering free trade," said Merkel, who was accompanied by an industry delegation of 18 German executives.

Merkel was expected to take up the case of Liu Xia, the widow of Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, who remains under house arrest without charges nearly a year after her husband died of cancer in custody.

"We have found a dialogue mechanism where difficult questions can be raised," she said.

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Iran says cannot 'interact' with US
Tehran (AFP) May 23, 2018
Iran cannot "interact" with the United States as it is a country whose word cannot be trusted, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying on Wednesday. "The first experience is that the government of the Islamic Republic cannot interact with America... Why? Because America is not committed to its promises," Press TV quoted him in English as saying. His comments came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday outlined 12 tough conditions from Washington for any new nuclear ... read more