Zarif, Mogherini Gauge Progress on Iran Nuclear Deal

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and her Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif discussed the ongoing work towards implementation day of the Iran nuclear deal, according to the EU External Action Service (EEAS).

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and her Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif have assessed the progress on the implementation of the July nuclear deal, in a phone conversation on Sunday.

The two officials "discussed the ongoing work towards implementation day and took stock of the important progress made so far," the EU External Action Service (EEAS) said in a statement.

The phone call came hours after a major crisis broke out in the Middle East following the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric by Sunni authorities in Saudi Arabia.

Mogherini called for deescalation that she said would allow regional powers to continue working together on urgent security issues.

On July 14, Tehran and a group of six international mediators hammered out a deal that has seen Iran dismantle parts of its nuclear infrastructure in exchange for sanctions easing.

The accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, guarantees the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and sets out key nuclear commitments that Iran must take before sanctions are scrapped over the next few years.