TEHRAN - Josep Borrell, the European Union foreign policy chief, and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met in Berlin on Monday to discuss the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA.

“Good meeting with my friend German Minister of Foreign Affairs @HeikoMaas this morning in Berlin. Discussed pressing international issues and European foreign policy action: Berlin #Libya conference, #JCPOA and Western Balkans. We will continue to work hand in glove,” Borrell tweeted on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally quit the nuclear deal in May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever sanctions in history on Iran as part of his administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran.

In response to this move, on May 8, 2019, Iran announced that its “strategic patience” is over and started to gradually reduce its commitments to the JCPOA at bi-monthly intervals. At the time Iran announced if the European parties to the deal take concrete steps to shield Iran’s economy from the U.S. sanctions it will reverse its decision.

However, seeing no action by the Europeans, on January 5 Iran took the last and final step by removing all limits on its nuclear activities.

Iran’s moves are based on paragraph 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one side, under certain circumstances, to stop complying with the deal if the other side is out of compliance.”

Despite taking the last step, Iran has reminded the Europeans to fulfill their commitments in order to keep the deal alive.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom, three parties to the nuclear deal, issued a joint statement on January 14, announcing they have formally triggered the dispute mechanism that may lead to the snapback of UN sanctions against Iran.

Borrell said in a statement issued on Friday, “There is agreement that more time is needed due to the complexity of the issues involved. The timeline is therefore extended.”

NA/PA