Merkel says U.S. exit from Iran deal breaks trust in int’l order

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, on Friday criticised the U.S. for leaving the Iran nuclear deal unilaterally.

“This breaks the trust in the international order.

“Although the deal was far from ideal and many issues still remain unresolved, the U.S. withdrawal is a cause of great concern and regret,’’ she said in the Western German city of Muenster.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday formally pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 landmark agreement, ignoring repeated opposition from western allies.

Foreign Ministers from the EU member countries are expected to hold a crisis meeting with Iran in London on Monday in a bid to save the deal.

The Iran agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, the U.S., UK, France and Russia), Germany and the EU.