ugc_banner

France, Russia want to safeguard Iran nuclear deal: Macron

WION Web Team
ParisUpdated: Jan 13, 2020, 08:21 PM IST
main img
File photo. Photograph:(Reuters)

Story highlights

Iran had called the other European nations who are stakeholders in the deal including Japan to intervene to save the nuclear deal.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France and Russia want to safeguard the Iran nuclear deal.

Macron in a statement said he had a phone call with Russian President Putin as the two leaders discussed the Iran nuclear deal.

The French president also called for "a credible and lasting ceasefire in Libya".

"The president emphasised the necessity that the ceasefire that is to be announced is credible, lasting and verifiable," Macron's office said in a statement.

Macron's statement comes after  Germany and Britain asked Iran to comply with the 2015 nuclear deal.

Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs had earlier warned that the Iran nuclear deal could collapse after the Trump administration pulled out of the deal in 2018.

Watch Video:

Borrell said it was a "very complex, highly technical process" to save the deal.

"Maybe we cannot avoid that the JCPOA finally is being cancelled because the dispute mechanism can be triggered and I cannot exclude that this happens," Borrell.

Iran had earlier slammed he "irrational" withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear deal. 

Iran called the other European nations who are stakeholders in the deal including Japan to intervene to save the nuclear deal. Iran requested Japan to mediate a deal which would be agreeable to all sides.

Japan PM Abe had visited Tehran last year in a bid to ease tensions between the United States and Iran. Japan has decided to send warships to the Gulf to protect its vessels carrying crude oil. 

The US had imposed stiff sanctions against Iran after pulling out of the deal. Tensions between the US and Iran escalated after a US drone strike on Iran's general Sulemani at Baghdad airport leading to his death.