France, Germany, Britain regret US pull-out on Iran deal

France, Germany and Britain regretted the US decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday on twitter.

"The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake," Macron said. "We will work collectively on a broader framework, covering nuclear activity, the post-2025 period, ballistic activity, and stability in the Middle East, notably Syria, Yemen, and Iraq."

A Downing Street spokesperson said British Prime Minister Theresa May held a joint telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Macron earlier on Tuesday evening.

"They discussed the US President's announcement and agreed their continuing commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the spokesperson said.

US President Donald Trump announced at the White House that the US will withdraw from the landmark 2015 accord.

Trump, who promised to dismantle the deal during his 2016 electoral campaign, claims that Iran has continued to enrich uranium for military purposes.

The landmark deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was struck between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- China, France, Russia, Britain and the US -- plus Germany and the EU, in Vienna in 2015.

European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday also expressed his disapproval over Trump's decision to pull out of the deal, saying the move "will meet a united European approach".

--IANS

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