France dismisses US call to exit Iran nuclear deal

France said it remains “committed” to the 2015 Iran nuclear accord it signed with other world powers, despite US President Donald Trump urging the Europeans to quit the deal.

Iran Press/Europe: Trump in his speech on Wednesday 8th January said that "the time has come" for the other co-signatories of the nuclear deal with Iran to withdraw from it.

In this regard, the French foreign ministry Thursday showed no signs of pulling out of the nuclear deal.

"France remains committed to the framework of the Vienna Iran nuclear accord," said a ministry spokeswoman, Agnes von der Muehll.

She added that France "continues to work with the other parties" to the deal, meaning the other signatories -- Britain, Germany, Russia, and China along with Iran.

After the US reimposed sanctions, Iran pulled back from some of its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) commitments, on Sunday 5th January after the assassination of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani announced that it no longer felt compelled to stick to any limit on the number of its centrifuges for making the enriched uranium needed for nuclear power. 

However, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a phone call Thursday 9 January that Iran is willing to fully restore its nuclear commitments if the European parties to the agreement "go back to their (own) commitments" and help Tehran circumvent US sanctions, his office said in a statement.

The European signatories must decide in the coming days whether to take action against Tehran for reneging on its commitments which could lead to reimposing UN sanctions.

A special meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union is scheduled for Friday 10th January in Brussels to discuss the Iranian crisis.

EU president Charles Michel defended the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday and asked President Rouhani to continue the deal. 101/219

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