TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, must be protected against the U.S. unilateralist approach.

During a ceremony held at the German embassy in Tehran to commemorate German Unity Day, he said that the JCPOA is not in a good situation and is now “in the ICU”.

He noted that cooperation among Iran and the remaining parties to the nuclear deal must result in “breaking the wall of sanctions and unilateralism”.

Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the UN-endorsed JCPOA in May 2018 and imposed the toughest ever sanctions against Iran in line with his administration’s “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran.

The remaining parties, particularly the European sides, have so far failed to honor their commitments since the U.S. returned sanctions and imposed new ones.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Monday that Europe has linked implementation of its commitments to the U.S. demands.

At the conclusion of his visit to the annual UN General Assembly in New York on September 26, Rouhani said the European countries have either been unable or shown no will to save the nuclear deal.

He said Iran cannot be the only party that pays the price for keeping the JCPOA alive.

In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Yerevan on Tuesday, Rouhani said that Iran expects parties to the nuclear deal implement their commitments under the agreement.

NA/PA