13 May 2019; DW: German, French and British foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to find ways to keep the pact alive amid Iran's partial withdrawal. But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is making a surprise visit.
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday that EU member states continue "to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran" ahead of a foreign ministers summit in Brussels.
Washington has increased its pressure on the EU to isolate the Islamic republic internationally and walk away from the nuclear deal.
The latest:
- German, French and British foreign ministers are gathering to discuss the state of the Iran nuclear deal in Brussels.
- German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin "will continue to support" the deal.
- British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said the UK is worried about the risk of conflict between Iran and the US.
- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a surprise visit to Brussels to discuss "pressing matters."
- But Mogherini said there are "no precise plans" to meet with Pompeo, citing a "busy agenda."
Rising tensions in the Gulf
Since last week, the US has deployed an aircraft carrier, bombers, an assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Persian Gulf in a sign of escalating tensions in the region.
Over the past month, the US has taken an increasingly aggressive position against Iran. It labeled Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group and ended all sanctions wavers on Iranian oil.
Frustrated by the EU's response to the unraveling of the nuclear deal, Iran announced last week that it would withdraw from "voluntary commitments" made in the 2015 accord.
While the EU rejected "any ultimatum" on the deal, it said Iran's announcements "are not a violation or withdrawal of the nuclear deal."
What is the Iran nuclear deal?
The nuclear deal was a diplomatic masterpiece orchestrated by Germany, France, the UK, Russia, China, the US under former President Barack Obama's leadership and Iran. It provided a framework for Iran to end its nuclear program in exchange for the international community dropping crippling sanctions.
