Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU Commission chief, has said that the European Union must take measures to protect core provisions of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“As co-architects of the Iran deal, we must defend its core,” Sputnik quoted him as saying in an interview with the Hannoversche Allgemeine newspaper published on Saturday.

He said the JCPOA should not be sacrificed for the sake of U.S. domestic political expediency.

“The termination of the Iran agreement by the U.S. doesn’t benefit global peace,” he noted.

“The Middle East is on the cusp of great turmoil. And we are close,” he cautioned.

On May 8, President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the UN-endorsed nuclear agreement and plans to reimpose sanctions on Iran.

After the U.S. withdrawal, Iran wants assurances from the remaining parties, especially Europeans, that its interests are guaranteed or it will resume nuclear activities with a higher speed.

Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, issued a statement on May 18, saying that the 28-nation bloc is united in preserving the international nuclear deal.

NA/PA