EU to preserve JCPOA for security concerns: Mogherini

The bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday said, the European Union (EU) wants to preserve the landmark Iran nuclear deal for security interests.

"For us, this is not about economic interest; this is about security interests for the EU," Xinhua quoted Mogherini as saying.

The remark was made at a press conference following the EU's monthly Foreign Affairs Council.

Since the day the United States (US) pulled out of the deal, Mogherini, on different occasions, assured Iran saying, as long as Iran abides by all its nuclear-related commitments, the EU will stick to the deal.

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US will "crush" Iran with military pressure and by imposing sanctions till the time it changes its behaviour in the Middle East.

Pompeo also said the US will monitor Tehran's regional activities, restrict its influence in the Middle East and ensure that it never acquires a nuclear weapon.

On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced the Washington withdrawal from the JCPOA or the Iran nuclear deal which limited the country's uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief.

The Iran nuclear deal was signed between six countries in 2015 - Iran, US, Britain, Germany, Russia, France and China for lifting economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limitations to the country's nuclear programme.