Parties to Iran nuclear deal pledge to preserve accord

Parties to an international agreement on Iran's nuclear program pledged on Wednesday to continue efforts to preserve the July 2015 deal.

In a joint statement after their meeting in New York on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, ministers from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran "confirmed their determination to continue all efforts to preserve the agreement, which is in the interests of all."

A handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on September 24, 2019 shows him meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) on the sidelines of the 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York. [Photo: HO/Iranian Presidency/AFP]

"Participants recalled that the JCPOA ... remains a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy," says the statement read out to reporters by Federica Mogherini, EU's foreign and security policy chief, who chaired the meeting.

A handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on September 24, 2019 shows him (R) meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) on the sidelines of the 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York. [Photo: HO/Iranian Presidency/AFP]

The JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is the official name of the July 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The participants underlined the importance of the full and effective implementation of the agreement by all sides, says the statement.

The United States was a party to the deal. But Washington withdrew from it in May 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran's reversal of its commitments.