EU backs US-Iran talks, but nuclear deal must stay – Mogherini

The European Union could support talks between the US and Iran, but only if the current nuclear deal with Tehran is preserved, the EU diplomatic chief, Federica Mogherini, said on Thursday.

The idea of direct talks between Washington and Tehran has grown this week after President Donald Trump mooted the idea and the new US defense secretary urged Iran to engage, AFP reported.

Mogherini gave a cautious welcome to the idea of negotiations as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers in Helsinki, Finland.

She added, however, that “first and foremost what is existing needs to be preserved” – specifically the 2015 deal known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. “We will always advocate for the full respect by all sides of the UNSC resolutions and that includes the JCPOA,” Mogherini said.