Iran's president says lifting US sanctions only way to save nuke deal

TEHRAN - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday urged the United States to lift sanctions to save the nuclear deal, which is also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), official IRNA news agency reported.

"JCPOA is by no means renegotiable, and the only way to protect and revive it is to remove sanctions by the United States," Rouhani made the remarks in a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Iran's gradual retreat from its nuclear obligations is due to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA as well as the "inability" of Britain, France and Germany to fulfill their nuclear commitments, Rouhani said, stressing that Iran will re-embrace its obligations immediately if other parties of the deal adhere to their undertakings.

Iran's recent suspension of the voluntary implementation of the additional protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is within the framework of the law passed by the Iranian parliament, he said.

In the meantime, "our cooperation with the IAEA continues and we have never left the JCPOA," he stressed.

On Feb 23, Iran stopped implementation of the voluntary measures including the IAEA additional protocol, as envisaged in the JCPOA, which are beyond safeguard agreement.