BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government is concerned about Iran’s announcement that it will scale back curbs to its nuclear program, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday, adding any action that could jeopardize regional stability should be avoided.

The steps announced by Iran stop short of violating its 2015 deal with world powers for now, but Tehran threatened more action if countries did not shield it from U.S. sanctions.

“Our position remains that we want to stick by the agreement, especially to prevent Iran from gaining possession of a nuclear weapon,” Maas said, stressing that the deal was crucial for German and European security.