Europe safer thanks to Iran's anti-terror efforts: Rouhani to Merkel
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Iran's anti-terror efforts in the Middle East region have helped make the world a safer place.
"Determined to achieve and maintain regional stability and security, Iran has always tried to de-escalate tensions in the region and under no condition does it welcome more tensions," Rouhani told the German leader in a phone conversation on Thursday.
Citing Iran's military advisory role in Iraq and Syria as examples, the Iranian head of state said even Europe has benefited from the Islamic Republic's successful anti-terror efforts.
"The battle that Iran and the people of Iraq and Syria fought against Daesh terrorists has brought relatively good levels of security to Syria and Iraq, and has benefitted the region and the world, including Europe," he asserted.
'Europe's time to save JCPOA limited'
Rouhani also brought up US President Donald Trump's recent decision to pull out from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a landmark nuclear deal that Iran signed in 2015 with the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany.
"Breaching and stamping on an agreement endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution will lead to damaging consequences on the world stage," he said.
The JCPOA was reached after some 12 years of negotiations between Iran on one side and the six world powers on the other in July 2015.
After criticizing the agreement for months, Trump on Tuesday officially declared that Washington was pulling out of the deal.
The American head of state claimed that the deal had failed to stop Iran's development of ballistic missiles and lacked mechanisms to stop its growing influence in the region.
In announcing his decision, Trump said he will not only reinstate the anti-Iran sanctions that were lifted as part of the deal but will also “be instituting the highest level of economic” bans against the country.
Merkel, who had advised Trump against the move, said it was very important for Europe to keep the JCPOA in place.
"America's exit from the JCPOA is a problem that needs a rational solution," she said. "The European Union will remain committed to the deal and asks Iran to do the same."
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