PARIS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- French foreign minister Jean-Yves le Drian said Wednesday the Iran nuclear "still exists" despite U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement struck in 2015 after marathon talks.
"The deal is not dead. There's an American withdrawal from the deal, but the deal is still there," the minister told RTL radio.
"It'an accord which allows security in the region. It deserves more than a new destabilization caused by the United States' withdrawal," he added.
The French minister said "we want to stay in this agreement, to make sure that Iran also stays and shows restraint... Iranians must continue their determination to stay in the accord in exchange for economic benefits that Europeans will try to preserve," he said.
The French diplomat added that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s inspections have, since 2015, shown that Tehran was honoring its commitments to reduce nuclear activities.
However, he said he was aware that "other topics" -- including Tehran's ballistic missile program and its influence in Yemen and Syria -- remained unresolved.
"We are ready to work towards a broader agreement," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is to speak later in the day to his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
Expressing concerns over "a risk of confrontation" and "a setback for peace," Le Drian, along with his German and British counterparts, said he would meet Iranian officials on Monday to discuss the situation.
