In a statement, the British government said the agreement came during separate phone calls by Prime Minister Theresa May to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the weekend.

 

The leaders “discussed the importance of the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) as the best way of neutralizing the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, agreeing that our priority as an international community remained preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon,” according to the statement.

 

They also “agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover, but which we need to address — including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran’s destabilizing regional activity.”

 

The statement said the leaders were also “committed to continue working closely together and with the U.S. on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses — including those issues that a new deal might cover.”

 

The UN, EU and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last Monday called for the preservation of the Iranian nuclear deal before a May 12 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump.

 

Trump has until that date to determine if he will continue to extend sanctions relief on Iran with or without the side deal he has sought from his Western allies. Should he fail to extend relief, the deal would almost certainly collapse.