Brussels [Belgium]: In a major breakthrough, the European Union on Monday said that Iran nuclear deal is not dead and there is still a way to save it.
“Iran is still a good year away from developing a nuclear bomb. There is still some closing, but a small window to keep the deal alive,” UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told reporters.
There is still time to save the deal signed in 2015 between Iran and world powers, said Hunt, adding that despite the US being Britain’s closest ally, it disagreed on how to handle the Iran crisis, reported Al Jazeera.
The European Foreign Ministers gathered in Brussels to find ways to convince Washington and Tehran to engage in dialogue.
Echoing the similar sentiments, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Europe is required to remain united in order to preserve the deal and convince Tehran to reverse its decision not to comply with parts of the accord.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated since US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal JCPoA last year. Following which, Washington increased its drumbeat of aggression and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.
“The Europeans have to stay united on this issue,” Le Drian told reporters on Monday.
France, Germany and the UK on Sunday released a statement outlining their “extreme concern” regarding the risk of collapse of the Iran nuclear deal which, they say, may be triggered by the United States reinstating sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation and Iran’s decision to not follow key provisions of the agreement.
The country stopped complying with some elements of the agreement in May, a year after the US unilaterally withdrew from the deal.