Germany says more needed from Iran to stave off return of sanctions

Germany says the “ball is still in Iran’s court” after the UK, France and Germany held talks with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

The phone call between the countries’ respective foreign ministers came after European powers last month triggered a 30-day deadline for so-called “snapback” sanctions to come back into force in the absence of a negotiated deal on the Iranian nuclear program.

A German foreign ministry spokesman says the offer from the so-called E3 powers “to discuss a temporary [delay] of the snapback if Iran fulfils certain conditions remains on the table,” but adds that “at this point the steps taken by Iran have not been sufficient.”

Separately, Iran dismisses US criticism of its missile program as “nonsense,” after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it an “unacceptable risk.”

“He was speaking nonsense,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei tells journalists.

The US is “not supposed to comment on the defensive capabilities of a nation that has decided to preserve its independence at any cost,” he adds.