The Latest: France's Macron: Iran nuclear deal must be saved
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}French President Emmanuel Macron, left, is welcomed by Romanian President Klaus Werner Ioannis as he arrives for an EU summit in Sibiu, Romania, Thursday, May 9, 2019. European Union leaders on Thursday start to set out a course for increased political cooperation in the wake of the impending departure of the United Kingdom from the bloc. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
The Latest on the crisis surrounding Iran's decision to step away from the embattled nuclear deal with world powers (all times local):
12:10 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron says the Iran nuclear deal must be saved and that the accord's signatories should do all they can to ensure that the Islamic Republic respects it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Macron told reporters on Thursday that "Iran must remain in this agreement and we must do everything we can to ensure that it stays in."
Speaking ahead of an EU summit in Romania, Macron lauded the 2015 deal curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions as "a good agreement."
But he said it should be completed with other pacts governing Iran's missile development and its potentially destabilizing role in the Middle East.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Amid heated rhetoric from Tehran and Washington in recent days, Macron urged the signatories not to "get caught up in any escalation" and to "jointly watch over our collective security."
___
10 a.m.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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."