Iranian, German FMs hold talks on JCPOA‎

TEHRAN, May 15 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his German counterpart Heiko Maas held a phone conversation on the JCPOA and its fate following the US pullout of the 2015 nuclear deal. During the Monday conversation, the two sides conferred on plans by the Germany as well as the EU to preserve the nuclear accord after the US’ withdrawal. Zarif, who is on an official visit to Moscow, stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran is giving a second chance to diplomacy in a short span of time to safeguard the benefits of the JCPOA for the Iranian nation. For his part, the German foreign minister confirmed that there is a time limit to save the Iran nuclear deal and said his government is developing plans at the national and EU levels to preserve the JCPOA and guarantee Iran’s interests in the deal by exploring various options available. Meanwhile, Zarif has arrived in Brussels to discuss the possibility of keeping the nuclear deal in place with the E3 foreign ministers - Britain, Germany and France. Iran says it will stay in the agreement as long as the European signatories to JCPOA give solid guarantees that Iran's interests would continue to be met in the face of US sanctions.