Antonio Guterres
Antonio GuterresReuters

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on the remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) to abide by their commitments after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington would withdraw.

Guterres said in a statement quoted by Reuters that he was “deeply concerned” by Trump’s decision.

“It is essential that all concerns regarding the implementation of the plan be addressed through the mechanisms established in the JCPOA. Issues not directly related to the JCPOA should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments,” Guterres said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump called the 2015 Iran deal an "embarrassment" that "should never have been reached."

"After the sanctions were lifted, the dictatorship used its new funds to build nuclear capable missiles, support terrorism, and cause havoc throughout the Middle East and beyond," he said.

Trump cited Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's presentation of Iran's nuclear archive last week as proof that Iran cannot be trusted to abide by its commitments under the JCPOA or to abandon its desire to develop nuclear weapons.

Responding to Trump’s decision, Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said the EU would remain in the deal “as long as Iran continues to implement its nuclear related commitments, as it is doing so far.”