Now, Iran threatens to pull out of 2015 nuclear deal

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday, June 22, revealed his country's stern stand on the 2015 nuclear deal said the pact was in the "intensive care unit" and warned of a potential withdrawal from it by Tehran "in the coming weeks" if it did not get sufficient financial guarantees from Europe, Al Jazeera reported.

Araghchi made the threatening remarks in Vienna as the remaining signatories of the deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) met to discuss its future after the US unilaterally pulled out if it on May 8. The Donald Trump presidency said the deal, reached under former president Barack Obama, was "flawed" and allowed Iran to take undue advantages.

"I told the conference today that the JCPOA is in the intensive care unit because it has lost its balance as a result of the US withdrawal from the deal," Araghchi was quoted as saying by Iran's Mehr news agency, Al Jazeera reported.

The meeting in Vienna was attended by representatives from four permanent members of the United Security Council barring the US besides Germany and the European Union - all of whom are party to the crippled deal.

The Iranian minister sought protection for European firms in Iran from America's sanctions that were renewed under Trump after the US pulled out of the deal. Araghchi also demanded that European crude oil transactions through Iranian banks must continue to be in operation, the Al Jazeera report added.

"Iran is running out of its patience and there is a possibility for the country to leave the deal in the coming weeks," Araghchi was quoted as saying by the Iranian news agency.

Iran's fresh threats will put more pressure on the European countries whose concerns were overlooked by Trump while withdrawing from the Iran deal.