European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der LeyenReuters

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that Iran must comply with the 2015 nuclear deal.

“We are deeply concerned by Iran’s announcement that it will not respect the limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) any longer,” Von der Leyen said in a statement, using the deal’s formal name, according to Reuters.

“From a European viewpoint, it is important for Iran to return to the nuclear deal. We have to convince Iran that it’s also in its own interest,” she added, confirming that EU foreign ministers will hold a special session on Friday.

The statement follows Iran’s announcement on Sunday that it will abandon the deal amid heightened tensions with the United States over the killing of General Qassem Soleimani.

The leaders of Germany, France and Britain later called on Iran to abide by the terms of the 2015 deal, and urged the Islamic Republic against conducting or supporting further “violent acts.”

Even before the elimination of Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad overnight Thursday, Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 deal in response to US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018.

Most recently, the Islamic Republic restarted uranium enrichment at the underground Fordow facility in violation of the deal.