UK, France, Germany say ‘still more work to do’

Sounding a cautious tone, the French foreign minister says “France will be watchful, as it always is in step with its partners, to ensure that a credible, verifiable agreement be established under which the international community can be sure Iran will not be in a position to have access to nuclear arms,” Reuters reports.

Meanwhile, Germany hails the “big, decisive step forward” but warns that it “is too early to celebrate.”

“It is too early to celebrate. Nevertheless, with the framework agreement we have overcome obstacles that stood in the way of a deal for a decade,” foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says, according to Reuters.

“If a final agreement is achieved, it could in my view not only pave the way for a solution to the Iran conflict, but it would be the first and only conflict in the Middle East where we will have achieved a de-escalation. It could therefore provide hope for an easing of tensions in the region and between Iran and Arab states,” Steinmeier says.

The UK’s Philip Hammond says the announcement is “well beyond what many of us thought possible even 18 months ago and a good basis for what I believe could be a very good deal.”

“But there is still more work to do,” he says.