Pence in Warsaw urges EU nations to ditch Iran nuclear deal

"The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join with us," Pence said.

International sanctions on Iran were lifted after global powers in 2015 struck an agreement under which Tehran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear programme.

President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from that deal last year, calling it deeply flawed, and re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

Trump said at the time he did not believe the deal was preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons.

Pence on Thursday criticised the European Union for staying aboard the 2015 agreement.

Iran and the Palestinians did not attend the Warsaw summit.

In a comment on the conference in Poland, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said: "We see what's happening in Warsaw, it's an empty result, nothing."

Poland’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Iran’s nuclear programme was a cause of concern.

Jacek Czaputowicz, speaking at the opening of the second day of the international conference in Warsaw, said: "We are concerned about the possible results of Iran’s nuclear programme as well as the unconstructive role of the country in the region.”

Foreign ministers and senior officials from 63 nations met in Warsaw on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss issues such as missile proliferation, energy security, emerging cyber-based threats, counterterrorism, migration crises and humanitarian aid.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the meeting was a “huge step in promoting a future of peace and security” in the Middle East.

(pk/gs)