Europe has limited opportunity to preserve nuclear deal, Rouhani tells Macron

BEIRUT - 9 May 2018: Europe has a "limited opportunity" to preserve the nuclear deal with Tehran, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Wednesday, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency.

"Under the current conditions, Europe has a very limited opportunity to preserve the nuclear deal, and must, as quickly as possible, clarify its position and specify and announce its intentions with regard to its obligations," ISNA quoted Rouhani as telling Macron in the phone call.

Macron traveled to the United States in late April in an attempt to convince U.S. President Donald Trump not to withdraw from the nuclear deal.

Rouhani told Macron that Iran's rights under the deal related to the selling of oil, banking, investment and insurance must be "guaranteed" in a transparent and clear way, ISNA reported.

Foreign companies who have contracts with Iran must also announce their decision after Trump's withdrawal from the deal, Rouhani told Macron, according to ISNA.

He also said Iran has met its obligations under the deal and has never enriched uranium for a weapons program.

In a speech on Tuesday, Trump said the nuclear deal would allow Iran to enrich uranium to "reach the brink of a nuclear breakout."

"Despite what Trump thinks, enrichment in Iran has never been for obtaining a nuclear weapon but instead has been for scientific and technical pursuits," Rouhani told Macron, according to ISNA.