BERLIN, July 8 (Reuters) Iran must be persuaded to stick to its commitments set by the 2015 nuclear deal, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said on Monday, after Tehran announced it would boost its uranium enrichment above a cap set by the accord.

“The ball is clearly in Iran‘s court. We want to preserve the deal. For this, parties must stick to it,” the spokesman told a regular government news conference.

Asked at which point a red line would be crossed for the German government, the spokesman said: “Our objective is that Iran abides by the deal.” He added that Tehran must reverse all steps that contradict the landmark accord.

Iran has passed the 3.67% uranium enrichment cap set by its landmark 2015 nuclear deal and may enrich at even higher levels, the spokesman for Iran‘s Atomic Energy Organisation was cited as saying on Monday.

Germany is one of the six countries that struck the nuclear deal with Iran in 2015. The United States has since withdrawn from the agreement.

Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China are trying to keep the deal alive amid heightened tension between the U.S. and Iran.


(Reporting by Thomas Seythal Editing by Paul Carrel and Raissa Kasolowsky)