Berlin, London, Paris urge Iran to 'cease its nuclear escalation'

BERLIN: Germany, the United Kingdom and France on Thursday urged Iran to "cease its nuclear escalation" and "urgently conclude the deal currently on the table" to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement.

"There has been a viable deal on the table since March 2022," they said in a joint statement.

"We regret that Iran has not seized the diplomatic opportunity to conclude the deal. We urge it to do so now."

Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 deal gave Iran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities.

But in 2018 then US president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the pact and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments.

Talks to revive the deal began in April last year, but have stalled since March.

Berlin, London and Paris issued their statement after the UN atomic energy watchdog earlier Thursday said Iran was removing 27 surveillance cameras at its nuclear facilities, warning this could be a "fatal blow" to negotiations towards resurrecting the 2015 accord.

"We urge Iran to... cease its nuclear escalation, and urgently conclude the deal currently on the table to restore the JCPOA, while this is still possible," the statement said.