Jean-Yves Le Drian
Jean-Yves Le DrianReuters

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday slammed Iran for continuously threatening to violate the 2015 "Iran deal," Reuters reported.

Speaking to RTL radio, Le Drian said Iran "must stop permanently threatening to break their commitments to the nuclear deal" so that Europe can "find the solutions so that Iran can have the necessary economic compensations."

France has also said Europe would likely not be able to create an economic compensation package for Iran prior to November. However, Le Drian said both France and China were working to create a plan to mitigate the effects of the United States' sanctions, which will be reapplied in August, and toughened in November, Reuters reported.

"For the start August it seems a bit short, but we are trying to do it by November," he emphasized.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif on Friday is expected to meet in Vienna his counterparts from the five countries still signatories to the deal. The meeting, initiated by Iran, is expected to focus on possible ways to preserve the deal after the US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in May.

On Wednesday, Le Drian warned that Iran's plan to increase its uranium enrichment capacity took it close to a "red line."

"It is always dangerous to flirt with red lines," he said then, warning that that Europe would not be able to stand idly by if Iran takes its nuclear program "to the next level."

"The Iranians must realize that if they violate the accord they will face new sanctions," he emphasizd to the Europe 1 radio.