France’s top diplomat warns Iran not to break the 2015 nuclear deal

France’s top diplomat has warned Iran that breaking the 2015 nuclear deal is a “grave error,” and the “wrong answer” to pressure from the United States.

Foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also called the U.S. initiative to build a global coalition to counter Iran “disturbing.”
He said European diplomats are working to avoid further escalation of the tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

France, Germany, the United Kingdom and other European countries are trying to save the 2015 nuclear deal, which the U.S. pulled out of.

Iran has said it will break out of the deal’s limit on its stockpiles of low-enriched uranium by Thursday, following the re-imposition of heavy U.S. sanctions.

France has reiterated its call for de-escalation and dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, as world leaders prepare for the Group of 20 summit.

Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye said French diplomats had several high-level contacts in the past weeks with Iranian and American officials looking for ways to ease the tensions.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron will meet with President Donald Trump at the G20 summit in Japan that starts Friday.

So far, France hasn’t commented on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s meetings with Gulf Arab allies about building a global coalition to counter Iran.