Despite the challenging outcomes of he US sanctions, the EU countries are aimed at preserving Iran deal, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said.

Iran Press-  Federica Mogherini made the remarks in a statement on her visit with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.

“We also had the opportunity to exchange views on the work we are doing to preserve the Iran nuclear deal that reached after long negotiations here in Vienna, so we have to keep the Vienna spirit. For - again - the sake of our own security,” the statement reads.

“The agreement is working, it is a challenging exercise to keep the agreement in place with the re-imposition of the US sanctions, but we are working together, including with Austria, with all our Member States, with all our partners around the world, to make sure that this continues to be the case,” it continues, IRNA reported.

The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA has on several occasions verified peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program under the JCPOA, to which Iran has remained committed since it went into force.

The JCPOA stands for Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name of the agreement reached between Iran and world's six major powers in 2015 to give Tehran sanctions relief in return for scaling back its nuclear program.

After Washington's May 8 exit from the historic Iran Deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the US gave 90 to 180 wind-down period to other countries before it starts re-imposing oil sanctions on Tehran on November 4.

Part of the US illegitimate sanctions were imposed on Iran on August 9.

Trump also said he would reinstate the US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose “the highest level” of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Earlier, Rouhani said there could be no talks as long as Washington was reneging on the deal."

“If you stab someone with a knife and then you say you want talks, then the first thing you have to do is remove the knife,” Rouhani said.

“We are always in favour of diplomacy and talks ... But talks need honesty,” Rouhani said. “Trump’s call for direct talks is only for domestic consumption in America ahead of elections ... and to create chaos in Iran.”

The day before, EU foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini and foreign ministers from the UK, France, and Germany said in a statement that the European Union's Blocking Statute would enter into force on 7 August to protect EU companies doing legitimate business with Iran.

In May, Trump called the nuclear accord - or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as it is formally known - a "horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made" and withdraw from the deal.

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