Tehran, March 2, IRNA - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described the 2015 nuclear deal as a multilateral and international agreement, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231; noting that the US should lift sanctions to revive the accord.

President Rouhani made the remarks in a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, warning that the lost of opportunities to revive and maintain the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will make the situation harder.

Rouhani underlined that the international agreement cannot be re-negotiated, adding that the gradual decline of Iranian commitments happened due to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and inaction by the three European powers (the UK, Germany and France) to comply with their obligations, but Iran will instantly return to its commitments as soon as the other signatories to the deal hold up their end of the bargain.

The Iranian chief executive also cautioned that every unconstructive measure or stance at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors can lead to new challenges or complicated situation.

Depicting France as an important player, Rouhani added that Paris-Tehran ties can expand based on sustainable point of view and long-term objectives to boost mutual, regional and international collaborations.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he argued that the illegal US-imposed sanctions have made it harder for the Islamic Republic to access its own funds around the world in order to purchase medicine and medical equipment amid COVID-19 pandemic, urging the European Union and especially France do not keep silence at the face of the inhuman action.

For his part, Macron said that the revival of the JCPOA is an international necessity, stressing the need for constant negotiations to pave the way for prompting all sides to fully implement the deal.

He went on to say that Europe is ready to play a more active role in the weeks ahead in a bid to revive the JCPOA 1424 Follow us on Twitter @irnaenglish