China, Europe Vow To Keep Iran Deal, Tehran Fumes

China on Wednesday voiced regret over President Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal and vowed to "safeguard" the agreement while France said top EU nations will meet on Monday to discuss the issue with Tehran.

"China regrets this decision made by the US," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.

Geng said China will maintain "normal economic and trade exchanges" with Iran despite Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 accord and reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

"China calls on all relevant parties to assume a responsible attitude" in order "to return at an early date to the right track of implementing the deal", he said.

"China will continue to uphold an impartial, objective and responsible attitude, remain in dialogue with all parties and continue to devote itself to safeguard and implement the deal."

The spokesman reiterated Beijing's opposition to unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction".

Slapping aside more than a decade and a half of diplomacy by Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia and past US administrations, Trump called for a "new and lasting deal".

But France said the Iranian nuclear accord is "not dead" and vowed to keep it alive.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he and his British and German counterparts will meet on Monday with Iranian representatives to discuss next steps.

In Tehran, Iran's supreme leader chastised Trump while lawmakers lit a paper US flag on fire inside parliament, shouting, "Death to America!"

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, challenged Trump, saying: "You cannot do a damn thing!"

In the parliament, a conservative lawmaker, Mojtaba Zolnour burned a copy of the nuclear agreement in the parliament and several other deputies joined him.

"Be careful not to burn down the parliament," speaker Ali Larijani said from the podium. (AFP)