EU foreign ministers seek to keep Iran nuclear deal alive

From left, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson pose for a photo during a meeting of the foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Major European powers sought on Tuesday to keep Iran committed to a deal to prevent it from building a nuclear bomb despite deep misgivings about Tehran’s Middle East politics and US President Donald Trump’s vehement opposition. (AP)

BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers were seeking to protect the bloc’s strategic and economic interests in Iran in the wake of the US withdrawal from the international nuclear deal.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday that “nobody believes it is going to be an easy exercise but we are determined to do it.”

The US pulled out of the pact earlier this month, and wants to impose tough sanctions on Iran, while European powers and Tehran say they are committed to keep working together to save the deal.

Mogherini also stressed that the latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency says that Iran continues to stay below the maximum level to which it can enrich uranium and appears to be fulfilling other obligations.