Putin, Macron reaffirm need to preserve JCPOA: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron agree on the need to preserve and fully implement the Iran nuclear deal, the Kremlin says in a statement.

The Russian and French leaders held a phone conversation on Monday as a May 12 deadline looms for US President Donald Trump to decide on whether to scrap the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"The presidents of Russia and France spoke in favor of keeping the Plan and its strict observance," the Kremlin said.

According to the statement, the phone call took place at the initiative of the French administration after Macron called Putin to inform him of his talks with Trump in the United States.

In a phone call with his French counterpart on Sunday, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would not accept any limitation on its nuclear program beyond commitments undertaken as per the JCPOA.

Rouhani said the JCPOA is not open to negotiation, stressing, “The fate of the JCPOA after 2025 will be determined by international law and Iran will not accept any limitations beyond its commitments.”

SS