EU urges Iran to respect nuclear deal, regrets US sanctions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this July 14, 2015 file photo, from left to right: European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pose for a group picture at the United Nations building in Vienna, Austria. Iran threatened Wednesday, May 8, 2019, to resume higher enrichment of uranium in 60 days if world powers fail to negotiate new terms for its 2015 nuclear deal, an agreement that capped over a decade of hostility between Tehran and the West over its atomic program. (Joe Klamar/Pool Photo via AP, File)
The European Union is urging Iran to respect the international agreement curbing the Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions and says it aims to continue trading with the country despite U.S. sanctions.
The EU and major European powers — Britain, France and Germany — said on Thursday that they "note with great concern the statement made by Iran concerning its commitments" to the nuclear deal.
They said in a statement that "we remain fully committed to the preservation and full implementation" of the deal, endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Trump administration pulled America out of the deal a year ago.
The EU powers say they "regret the re-imposition of sanctions" by the U.S. and remain "determined to continue pursuing efforts to enable the continuation of legitimate trade with Iran."