Top EU Diplomat: JCPOA Preservation Possible

The European Union foreign policy chief is still upbeat about the situation surrounding the 2015 nuclear deal because the recent meeting of its Joint Commission showed it is still possible to preserve the accord. 
“I must express my satisfaction because the Vienna meeting shows that there is still a chance to save the nuclear deal,” Josep Borrell said in a joint press conference after a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris on Tuesday, EEAS reported.  
The nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has been fraying since the US withdrew from it last year and imposed severe sanctions on Iran. 
The remaining parties' inability to offset the effects of US sanctions eventually forced Tehran to reduce its compliance step by step. 
Europe has been urging Iran to return to full compliance, but Iranian officials say they will only reverse the steps once the country's economic concerns are addressed. 
"We hope to convince the Iranian authorities not to endanger the survival of this agreement, which for us Europeans is very important," Borrell said.