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WASHINGTON. – French President Emmanuel Macron has said he may have failed in efforts to persuade Donald Trump to stick to an international nuclear deal with Iran.

“My view is . . . that he will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons,” Macron said at the end of a three-day state visit to the US.

Trump has until  May 12 to decide on the deal, which aimed to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

He has been a strong critic of the accord, calling it “insane”.

On Wednesday, Macron used similar language to describe frequent shifts in the US position on global issues, including climate change and the Iran agreement.

“It can work in the short term, but it’s very insane in the medium to long term,” he is quoted as telling reporters following a question-and-answer session with students at George Washington University.

Macron made changing the US president’s mind on Iran a top priority for his visit but ended up admitting there was a “big risk” Trump would abandon the deal. He agreed with Trump that any deal should include a wider agreement on Iran’s influence in the Middle East and should cover the country’s nuclear activities longer term, as well as its ballistic missile programme.

He said he would work with Trump to build a “new framework” in the Middle East – and especially in Syria.

His comments came at the end of a state visit in which the two leaders discussed differences on global trade and the environment, including the possibility of the US rejoining the Paris climate accord. – BBC.