Germany, France, UK urge Iran not to flout nuclear deal
Leaders issue joint statement after Iran's move to ignore 2015 deal's enrichment limits
Berlin: The leaders of Germany, France and Britain on Sunday urged Iran to drop measures that go against the 2015 nuclear deal, after Tehran announced it would no longer abide by a limit on enrichment.
“We call on Iran to withdraw all measures that are not in line with the nuclear agreement,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British PM Boris Johnson said in a joint statement.
The same trio of leaders earlier on Sunday agreed to work towards bringing about de-escalation in the Middle East amid heightened tensions following the US drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, a German government spokesman said.
“The chancellor, the French president and the British prime minister agreed to work together to reduce tensions in the region,” said the spokesman.
Macron previously assured US counterpart Donald Trump of “his complete solidarity” and urged Iran to avoid “military escalation that could aggravate instability in the region.”
He noted “mounting tensions in Iraq and in the region”, and expressed concern that Iranian forces that were commanded by Soleimani could take actions that would destabilise the region, in a statement issued by the Elysee presidential office.
The French president “reiterated the necessity that Iran put an end” to such activities.
“The priority should be pursuing international coalition action against Daesh, with full respect for Iraq’s sovereignty, for its security and for regional stability,” Macron said.