Paris will continue to push for a broader deal aimed at ensuring Iran complies with a landmark 2015 deal, “whether the United States participates or not”, France’s defense chief said Tuesday.

“This agreement is not the best one in the world,” Defense Minister Florence Parly told RTL radio. “But without being perfect, it still has its virtues… and they (the Iranians) are respecting it,” she said.

US President Donald Trump is widely expected to announce Tuesday that he is pulling out of what he has called a “very badly negotiated” deal with Tehran and possibly reimpose economic sanctions.

“Iran is a power that is looking to exercise its influence across the region. That is why it’s involved in Syria,” Parly said.

“We can see that any escalation… that could lead Iran not to respect the deal that was signed, including by the United States, would only aggravate what is already a very tense situation,” Parly said.

Source: AFP