Putin and Merkel discuss Iran nuclear deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the Kremlin press service reported.

"[They] discussed the situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the wake of the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from it and pointed to the fundamental importance of preserving the JCPOA from the perspective of international and regional security," the press service said.

The sides stressed the importance of preserving the Iran nuclear deal against the backdrop of Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from it in a telephone conversation,

On May 8, US President Donald Trump declared his decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, which stipulates that Tehran preserve the peaceful nature of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions being lifted. Trump also said that he would re-impose US sanctions on the country.