World powers seek to keep Iran in nuke deal

Three European nations along with Russia and China met with Iran Friday to offer it economic benefits that would lessen the blow of sweeping US sanctions, two months after US President Donald Trump walked away from the landmark nuclear deal.

Their foreign ministers were holding talks in Vienna, where the accord was signed in 2015 with the aim of stopping Iran from building the atomic bomb in return for sanctions relief that promised greater trade and investment for the country.

Ahead of the meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the meeting would “send a united and determined signal” to the world that the other parties “will continue to respect the agreement.”

“We are meeting here today to make sure the nuclear agreement with Iran has a future,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said as he arrived for talks with counterparts from Iran and the other signatories Britain, China, France and Russia.

“After the withdrawal of the United States, which we can’t understand, we face a difficult situation,” he said. “We want to make clear to Iran that it will still gain economic benefits through this agreement.”