TEHRAN – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Tehran on Sunday night to hold talks with Iranian officials on ways to save the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and easing up the tension between Iran and the United States.

During his stay in Tehran, the chief German diplomat is scheduled to hold talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani.

Germany is a signatory to the JCPOA.

Speaking in a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in Baghdad on Saturday, Foreign Minister Maas said that Germany in particular and the European Union in general want the nuclear deal to stay alive.

He added that the EU has set up a mechanism to ease the U.S. sanctions and to maintain financial transactions with Iran.

Maas noted that he is visiting Tehran to convince Iran to stay in the JCPOA.

On May 8, Iran partially suspended its commitments under the JCPAO in retaliation to the U.S. withdrawal from the multilateral agreement and reimposition of sanctions. Iran has given the remaining signatories to the JCPOA, including E3 - Germany, France and Britain - a two-month time to draw up a plan to offset the U.S. sanctions otherwise Tehran will take next steps.

PA/MH