European signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement - leaders of France, Germany and Britain - say they are 'extremely concerned' about the escalating tension in the Gulf region
President Hassan Rouhani. Pic/AFP
Tehran: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said his country was ready to hold talks with the US if Washington lifts sanctions imposed on Tehran.
"We are always ready for negotiations. I tell you this hour and this moment to abandon bullying and lift the sanctions and return to logic and wisdom. We are ready," the Iranian Mehr News Agency quoted Rouhani as saying on Sunday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Leaders of France, Germany and Britain, European signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement said on Sunday that they were "extremely concerned" about the escalating tension in the Gulf region, which they said is likely to put the accord at risk unless the concerned parties join the same table of talks.
In May 2018, Washington unilaterally abandoned the Iran nuclear deal and restarted imposing sanctions on Iran. On May 8, Iran stopped implementing some of its commitments under the deal and set a 60-day deadline for the Europeans to help Tehran reap the economic benefits of the deal.
On July 7, as the deadline expired, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced Tehran was ready to begin enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 per cent level set in the Iran nuclear deal, adding that Tehran would go on gradually abandoning its nuclear commitments every 60 days.
May 8
Day in the year 2018 Iran stopped implementing its commitments under the deal
July 8
Day this year Iran increased uranium enrichment
'Want to reduce tensions with Iran'
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Monday that Iran's actions were "profoundly destabilising" but said he wanted to reduce tensions in the Middle East, ahead of talks with his European Union counterparts. "Heading to Brussels for urgent talks on how to reduce tensions with Iran," Hunt tweeted. "Their approach to Mid East has been profoundly destabilising but we want to reduce not raise tensions over Grace 1 and avoid a nuclearised region.
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
