Month: July 2019

The former Spurs midfielder feels fresh terms are imperative with a key playmaker, while additions elsewhere in the squad would be most welcome

Tottenham “have to tie Christian Eriksen down with a new contract”, says Danny Murphy, with it imperative that the Dane is not allowed to head towards free agency if no transfer is made this summer.

As things stand, the 27-year-old could be on the move before the current window closes, with reports of interest from Spain refusing to away.

Spurs, though, are hoping to see a key creative influence – one who has entered the final year of his deal – stay put and commit to fresh terms.

Murphy told bwin of an unwelcome distraction for those in north London: “Tottenham have to tie Eriksen down with a new contract if he doesn’t leave this summer.

“They may have to add a clause to the contract that allows him to leave if certain teams come in for him, but they can’t afford to let him leave on a free next season.

“I don’t believe Eriksen will sulk if he doesn’t leave this summer, but he needs to make sure his head is 100% in the right place come the first game of the season.

“If he does kick up a fuss then [Mauricio] Pochettino will have no issues dropping him and that will only make matters worse. I really don’t think Eriksen is that type of player though.

“These situations are the exact reason why teams shouldn’t let players get down to one year on their contract.

“Tottenham can’t afford Eriksen to leave on a free next season so will want him to sign a contract if they can’t sell him. Eriksen then has to put his faith in the board if he signs a contract, that they will let him leave if a big team comes in for him.”

While hoping to see Eriksen remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Murphy is looking for more additions to be made.

He feels Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos would a be shrewd signing, amid competition from Arsenal, while Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon is considered to be another long-standing target that should be snapped up.

Ex-Spurs star Murphy added: “Tottenham need to sign Sessegnon regardless of whether [Danny] Rose stays or not.

“Being young and English makes Sessegnon a typical Tottenham signing and one they should definitely make.

“Pochettino’s track record with young talent means he will be confident that he can unlock Sessegnon’s full potential.

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“Rose had a fantastic end to the season and I don’t think Tottenham should let him go, but Sessegnon is the ideal replacement in the long term.

“Rose was back to his best at the end of last season and I think he’ll have a great season. Keeping them rotating will keep them fit and there’s plenty of games to get minutes under their belt.”

Pork prices to continue rising in latter half of year as swine fever woes persist

The supply of meat can satisfy domestic demand in the latter half of the year as the decrease in pork production continues due to African swine fever outbreaks, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Wednesday.

Tang Ke, chief of the market and economic information department at the ministry, said at a news conference that pork prices in China have kept rising since March, and at an accelerated pace recently.

The average wholesale price of pork－the most commonly consumed meat in China－reached 21.6 yuan a kilogram ($3.10) in June, an increase of 4.7 percent compared with that in May and a rise of nearly 30 percent compared with June last year, he said.

Prices of pork will continue rising in the latter half of the year as the effect of African swine fever on the industry becomes more prominent, Tang said.

More than 140 African swine fever outbreaks have been reported in China since the first outbreak in the country was reported in Liaoning province in August. The outbreaks have resulted in the slaughter of 1.2 million hogs for prevention and control, the ministry said earlier, adding that the frequency of the outbreaks has reduced greatly this year. The illness is deadly to pigs but there has been no report that the virus could affect humans, according to the ministry.

Xin Guochang, an information monitoring official at the ministry, said despite the overall transparency of information being disclosed regarding the outbreaks, it cannot be ruled out that some farmers deliberately concealed outbreaks from authorities for various reasons.

Tang said that due to the outbreaks, the stock of female pigs for reproduction in 400 counties under its monitoring decreased by nearly 6 percent in October year-on-year, higher than the warning line of 5 percent, and the decline has been accelerating since－reaching nearly 27 percent year-on-year last month.

It takes usually 10 months between the birth of a pig and the time that it’s ready to be slaughtered for the market, he said.

“Reduction in the reproduction of pigs since October has made the pork supply problem more prominent, resulting in a sustained increase in prices,” he said.

However, “the supply of meat in general will be guaranteed due to increasing production of other livestock meat, … and increasing imports of pork and its products,” he said.

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pork, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the total meat production in China, according to the ministry.

Zhu Zengyong, a researcher in pork industry at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, predicted the stock of pigs may stop declining and the number of female pigs used for reproduction will start to rebound gradually before the end of the year once there is greater control of African swine fever outbreaks.

With the decline in the supply of pork, consumption has also started to drop, partly due to the psychological effect of the virus, which has made some people reluctant to eat pork and so they turn to other meat, he said.

“The supply of alternatives to pork, such as poultry, will increase in the next two years, which will help ease the gap between the supply and demand of pork.”

TOKYO – With 161 precious Chinese cultural relics, the exhibition Three Kingdoms: Unveiling The Story opened to visitors at the Tokyo National Museum in the Japanese capital on July 9.

In order to let Japanese audience have a deeper understanding of the cultural essence of China, and to strengthen the cultural exchanges between the two countries, Chinese and Japanese experts spent three years visiting more than 50 cultural institutions in more than 20 provinces and autonomous regions in China to select the exhibits.

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The pieces, including 42 first-grade Chinese cultural relics, are expected to reproduce the historical features of the Three Kingdoms period which lasted from 220 to 280.

The exhibition specially selected the latest archaeological findings and research results from the excavation of the Cao Cao Mausoleum, the tomb of an ancient Chinese king. Visitors to the exhibition pass through a dark passage into a replica of the tomb chamber. One of the items on display in the chamber is a guan jar, or alcohol jug, excavated from the mausoleum. It is the earliest white porcelain product ever discovered – 300 years older than similar artifacts.

The exhibition also re-created some classic stories from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, such as the battle of Chibi and the battle of borrowing arrows with thatched boats, depicting ancient Chinese military commanders’ wisdom.

In the exhibition hall, 1,100 arrows suspended from the ceiling and 400 arrows on the opposite wall are displayed, replicating the scene, so that visitors can experience the density of arrows fired during the ancient battle.

Around two years ago, actress Milla Jovovich saw her popularity reach new heights in China thanks to Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

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As the sixth and final installment of the zombie game-adapted franchise, Resident Evil, which started in 2002, The Final Chapter earned nearly 1.2 billion yuan ($174.4 million) – the highest of all its films in China and far surpassing its box-office takings for North America.

Yet her most recent return to the world’s second-largest film market has turned out to be something of a disappointment.

The Rookies, which marks the first Chinese film for Jovovich, has received low scores and a number of negative comments on major film review sites.

With a reported budget of more than 300 million yuan, the film grossed merely 21.8 million yuan as of Wednesday, according to box-office tracker Maoyan.

In earlier interviews with domestic reporters, Jovovich says she was a fan of Chinese martial arts films, including Zhang Yimou’s Hero and Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Her love of the genre and respect for its director lead the Ukraine-born American actress to join the cast of the Chinese action production led by Alan Yuen, a filmmaker best known for penning the scripts for Monster Hunt 2 and New Police Story.

Also casting rising stars Darren Wang, Sandrine Pinna, Timmy Xu and Liu Meitong, the film is a kind of Chinese homage to such espionage classics like the James Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises, but presented with a more high-spirited tone.

The German outfit under Lucien Favre will be pulling no punches against the MLS club, ahead of another game against Liverpool later this week

Borussia Dortmund will kick off their preparations for another tilt at Bundesliga success this week when they face MLS outfit Seattle Sounders in their first game of their pre-season tour of America.

Ahead of a tougher test against Champions League holders Liverpool this weekend, the German outfit will travel to the home of Washington’s premier football team to face the 2016 MLS Cup winners as they look to build upon last season’s title near-miss to kick onto greater things.

Dortmund will likely field a mixture of first-team experience and youth as coach Lucien Favre looks to experiment ahead of clashes with bigger and bolder opponents.

As for the Sounders, who currently lie second in the Western Conference, it gives boss Brian Schmetzer the chance to test his squad ahead of their run-in for the 2019 season.

Game	Seattle Sounders vs Borussia Dortmund
Date	Thursday, July 18 / Wednesday, July 17
Time	3:30am BST / 10:30pm BST

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TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch

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In the United States (US), the game is not available on either television or through streaming.

US TV channel	Online stream
N/A	N/A

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game is not available on either television or through streaming.

UK TV channel	Online stream
N/A	N/A

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Squads & Team News

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Position	Seattle Sounders squad
Goalkeepers	Muse, Frei, Meredith
Defenders	Abdul-Salaam, Arreaga, Campbell, Jones, Kim, Leerdam, Marshall, Smith, Nouhou, Torres
Midfielders	Bwana, Delem, Leyva, Lodeiro, Rodriguez, Cristian Roldan, Alex Roldan, Shipp, Svenson, Wingo
Forwards	Dhillon, Morris, Ocampo-Chavez, Ruidiaz

The hosts are missing forward Will Bruin thanks to a ruptured cruciate ligament but otherwise have virtually a full squad to choose from.

Position	Borussia Dortmund squad
Goalkeepers	Burki, Eric Oelschlägel, Marwin Hitz
Defenders	Balerdi, Hummels, Guerreiro, Morey, Piszczek, Schulz, Toprak, Zagadou
Midfielders	Brandt, Larsen, Delaney, Gotze, Pherai, Raschl, Reus, Reyna, Sancho, Weigl, Witsel, Wolf
Forwards	Alcacer, Hazard, Philipp

Dortmund will likely field new signings Mats Hummels and Julian Brandt following their arrival at the club, as well as some of their younger talents.

USMNT youngster Gio Reyna is in line to feature, after it appeared he may play no part in first-team action this season following his arrival.

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Match Preview

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With the 2019-20 campaign fast approaching, Borussia Dortmund are preparing to ramp up their pre-season with a trip to the United States that will see them tangle with Champions League holders Liverpool in Indiana.

First howeer, the Bundesliga outfit head to Washington state this week for a clash with local MLS side Seattle Sounders, with the former North American champions looking to leave a mark of their own ahead of their run-in in the Western Conference.

One of the most impressive sides in the division’s recent history, they finished runners-up in 2017, one year after lifting the MLS Cup themselves, and will be relishing the chance to go toe-to-toe with a European giant.

Dortmund will be puling no punches however, with Lucien Favre expected to field new superstars such as Mat Hummels and Julian Brandt with Jadon Sancho leading some up-and-coming youngsters as he experiments ahead of the new season.

England international Sancho, who has enjoyed a pair of breakout seasons with the club since switching from Manchester City, has spoken of his desire to prove that he is more than a teenage one-hit wonder.

“It’s crazy what’s happened because I’m still only 19 and things like that usually happen when you’re 23 or 24,” he stated.

“Now it’s about keeping that level, People are waiting for me to dip so they can say I’m a one-hit wonder. I just need to keep playing and hope I stay clear of injuries. I just have to keep working hard and helping the team. That’s the main thing.”

Their hosts though will be determined to give a good account of themselves, with their coach Brian Schmetzer having spoken about the desire to impress for supporters against a European giant.

“I want the guys who step on the field to make sure they’re focused on Dortmund because we obviously want to put on a performance,” he told their website. “Fans are paying money to watch us play. So, we need to make sure that the group that gets out there is prepared, organized and anxious to play.”

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The Bundesliga champions have admitted that they’d like to sign the German international winger this summer

Lothar Matthaus has tipped Leroy Sane to make a move to Bayern Munich, saying he could become the new face of the Bundesliga champions.

Sane has proven his worth at Manchester City, having helped Pep Guardiola’s side to two Premier League titles in the last three seasons.

But the 23-year-old fell out of favour with City in the back half of last season, starting just five matches in the league after January. 

Sane also only played a total of just seven minutes over two legs of City’s quarter-final defeat to Tottenham in the Champions League, leading to talk he could look for a move in the summer.

Bayern Munich have been tipped as a potential destination for Sane, with the club’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitting that his side are looking to find an agreement for the Germany international. 

Matthaus, who starred for Bayern and Germany during his playing career, believes the conditions are there for a transfer to happen.

“I really think Bayern Munich [would] like to spend a lot of money, more than €80 million (£72m/$90m),” Matthaus told ESPN. “In City he’s not happy in one way, and City is ready to give him up. But the main answer has to be from Leroy Sane. Does he like to come to Bayern Munich, yes or no?”

Should Sane decide he wants to join Bayern, Matthaus believes that the club’s good relationship with its former manager will help make the transfer a reality.

“When he says yes, Bayern will contact Manchester City,” Matthaus said. “There’s a good relationship between Bayern Munich’s board and Pep Guardiola and I think they will find a way.”

If Sane does move to the Bundesliga champions, Matthaus believes that the sky is the limit for the winger back in his native country.

“The important thing is Leroy Sane has to say 100 percent yes to Bayern Munich,” Matthaus said.

“And then he will be a big star in Germany, maybe the biggest face of German football in the last years because for the money that Bayern would like spend on him, he can be the new face of Bayern Munich.”

However, Guardiola doesn’t appear willing to let Sane leave without a fight, saying on Wednesday that he wants to help the winger reach his potential at City.

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The two beaten semi-finalists in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations face off looking to finish on a high in the tournament’s third-place playoff

With their dreams of glory cruelly shattered in this weekend’s semi-finals, Tunisia and Nigeria will look to close out their Africa Cup of Nations campaigns on a winning note when the pair meet in Cairo on Wednesday.

Having seen their hopes dashed in late defeats to Senegal and Algeria respectively, the Eagles of Carthage and Super Eagles will look to bounce back to finish off on a high in the tournament’s third-place play-off.

Despite their failure to achieve a fourth continental title, the latter in particular will be looking to restore some national pride, while manager Gernot Rohr looks set to remain at the helm beyond the immediate future after the Nigerian Football Federation dismissed rumours of his impending exit .

Game	Tunisia vs Nigeria
Date	Wednesday, July 17
Time	8pm BST / 3pm ET
Stream (US)	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

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TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch

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In the United States (US), the game can be watched  live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

US TV channel	Online stream
beIN Sports	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Eurosport 2 and can be streamed via Eurosport Player UK.

UK TV channel	Online stream
Eurosport 2	Eurosport Player UK

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Squads & Team News

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Position	Tunisia squad
Goalkeepers	Ben Mustapha, Ben Cherifia, Hassen
Defenders	Meriah, Haddadi, Bedoui, Bronn, Aouadhi, Drager, Hnid
Midfielders	Msakni, Badri, Kechrida, Sassi, Lamit, Skhiri, Srarfi, Ben Mohamed, Chaalali, Sliti
Forwards	Khazri, Khenissi, Chaouat

Tunisia XI:  Chrifia, Drager, Hnid, Meriah, Haddadi, Chaalali, Skhiri, Sassi, Badri, Khenissi, Khazri.

Position	Nigeria squad
Goalkeepers	Ezenwa, Akpeyi, Uzoho
Defenders	Omeruo, Balogun, Troost-Ekong, Aina, Collins, Awaziem
Midfielders	Mikel, Ndidi, Etebo, Ogu, Abdullahi
Forwards	Musa, Ighalo, Iwobi, Onyekuru, Chukwueze, Onuachu, Simon, Kalu, Osimhen

Nigeria XI:  Uzoho, Aina, Omeruo, Troost-Ekong, Collins, Ndidi, Etebo, Chukwueze, Iwobi, Musa, Ighalo.

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Betting & Match Odds

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Nigeria are favourites at 11/8 to take the match with bet365 . Tunisia meanwhile can be backed at 21/10 while a draw is priced the same.

Click here to see all of bet365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more .

Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

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Match Preview

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With gutting last-gasp losses bringing to an end their dreams of Africa Cup of Nations glory, Tunisia and Nigeria will hope to conclude their stay in Egypt with the honour of third place in this year’s tournament, as they meet in the penultimate match of the competition at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo.

Alain Giresse’s Eagles of Carthage only saw their hopes dashed in extra-time against favourites Senegal when they conceded a 101st-minute own goal from Dylan Bronn while Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles were sunk by a 95th-minute injury-time winner from Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez for Algeria.

Both teams will have been left reeling from their narrow defeats but will now pick themselves up for one final game in the continent’s biggest tournament, with their eyes both on the prize of a bronze-medal finish.

Tunisia defender Mohamed Drager has stated that his side are certainly not short of drive or inspiration, adding that the squad hope to deliver success in their final match for their supporters who have stood with them every step of the way.

“We are professional players and each of us has to find motivation from within. I don’t think anyone has to struggle to find motivation because as professionals, we must fight to win every game,” he told the media .

“The loss to Senegal in the semi-final was tough but our fans deserve to be happy at the end, so we have to fight and win this game for them.”

Rohr, meanwhile, insisted that his side are determined to still deliver a result from AFCON 2019, particularly with his own future looking to be secure in charge of the nation.

“We will keep focused on the third-place playoff and hope to sign off with a happy result,” he stated .

“I worked in Tunisia but on the pitch this means nothing. Both teams have similar ambitions and many young players who would like to win.

“Alain Giresse is an experienced coach and I’m always happy to play against him.

“When you are one of the four best teams in the continent, this is a good result and we have to build on it. This is a team with a brilliant future.”

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The Gunners are hopeful they have seen off Tottenham’s interest to land the Saint-Etienne defender

Arsenal are hopeful they have seen off Tottenham in the race for William Saliba.

The 18-year-old centre-back has been a priority target for the Gunners this summer and they thought they had landed the teenager when a £27 million ($34m) deal was agreed with Saint-Etienne last week.

But just as the transfer was in the process of being finalised, Tottenham made a late move for the defender which threw his potential move to the Emirates into doubt.

Spurs’ bid was for the same amount, but it included a payment structure and add-ons that were more appealing to the Ligue 1 outfit.

Saint-Etienne then requested that Arsenal matched the offer, which they did – and the Gunners are now on the verge of sealing a deal for the talented Frenchmen.

Saliba had already agreed a five-year contract at the Emirates and will spend the first year of that back on loan with Saint-Etienne for the 2019/20 campaign.

Arsenal will not have to pay much of the transfer fee in the initial down payment, so the deal will not have much of an impact on Unai Emery’s transfer budget this summer.

Saliba’s arrival will be warmly welcomed at the Emirates, with the club’s scouting network having identified the centre-back as a priority target having watched him extensively during the second half of last season.

And the potential deal comes as Arsenal are also close to landing Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid.

The Gunners are in advanced talks with the Spanish giants over a loan move for the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

Madrid have yet to fully agree to the move, but it is believed manager Zinedine Zidane will not prevent the Spain international from leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.

Should Zidane give the green light for Ceballos to complete the transfer, it should be finalised relatively quickly, with Arsenal keen to wrap up a deal.

The potential move coincides with comments from Arsenal director Josh Kroenke – the son of owner Stan Kroenke – telling fans to be excited about what could come before the close of the transfer window next month.

“I would say ‘be excited’,” Kroenke told Arsenal.com. “There are a few things that I know our group are working on, and a few things we hopefully have on the doorstep. 

“Nothing is ever a done deal until it’s a done deal, obviously, but we know we have key areas we want to address in our squad, both now and in the future. 

“Our entire football operations staff have a great grasp on that and I’ve encouraged them to be as expressive as possible.”

Meanwhile, Unai Emery has stated that he is hoping to see three of four new faces arrive before the transfer window closes on August 8.

The Spaniard, who saw his side kick-off their pre-season tour to the United States with a 3-0 win against Colorado Rapids, said: “We need players with big performances.

“Our target is to get three or four players who really improve our squad now. We are being very, very demanding and first speaking about the possibility to sign very expensive players. 

“The first player in our list is our first target, if we cannot achieve that [we’ll go for] the second. We  think they’re going to improve our squad.”

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Is Brazil still the country of football even after their recent struggles? The fifth and final episode is about “Women” and takes a look at how hard it can be for female footballers to find a place in this sport.

From a lack of resources to the sexism that is still present, here are the obstacles which are still present for women to pursue a career in the sport they love.

Europeans must invest in the 2015 nuclear accord, Zarif says in New York

The European Union said on Monday that Iran’s recent enrichment and stockpiling of uranium did not amount to a “significant” breach of a 2015 nuclear accord, a deal that European signatories have tried hard to preserve despite its limited capacity.

After a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, described the accord as “not in the best of health, but it’s still alive”.

She told reporters that efforts to “hold pieces together” were better than letting the deal fail because “not having it in place is a terrible option for everybody”.

In May of 2018, the US withdrew from the agreement, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, citing Iran’s failure to allow reign in support for sectarian violence in places such as Syria and Yemen and its refusal to allow international inspectors of military sites.

The US has since reimposed sanctions on Iran, including efforts to ban Iran’s oil exports, the lifeline for the Iranian economy.

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The accord was signed in July 2015 by Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, the United States and the European Union.

Iran had more or less complied with the agreement until recently. But it complained that the other parties have not honored their commitment to deliver the promised economic benefits, largely due to the reimposed US sanctions.

Iran’s recent stockpiling and enrichment of uranium above the level permitted by the agreement has been seen as a way to express its dissatisfaction.

Meanwhile, tensions in the Persian Gulf region intensified this year. The US dispatched more military forces to the region after Saudi oil tankers were sabotaged. Teheran has denied that it was responsible for the attack.

Iran last month shot down a US drone that Iran said violated its airspace, which Washington denied. US President Donald Trump called off a retaliatory strike due to concerns of potential casualties, he said.

The seizure of an Iranian tanker by Britain off the coast of Gibraltar last week on alleged violation of EU sanctions against Syria has further raised the tensions.

Mogherini said the recent steps taken by Iran were regrettable but reversible. “So we hope and we invite Iran to reverse the steps and go back to full compliance with the agreement,” she said.

The outgoing EU official described the situation as “probably the most difficult moment” since 2015.

In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany voiced their continued support for the deal and urged full compliance by Iran.

“The Europeans claim they’re willing to preserve the JCPOA, but we haven’t yet seen their readiness to invest for preserving the deal. There’s great difference between expressing willingness and readiness to invest,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said upon his arrival in New York on Sunday for a UN Economic and Social Council meeting.

France, Germany and Britain have set a special purpose vehicle known as Instex in order to help companies bypass US sanctions in their trade with Iran. Mogherini on Monday said “the first transactions are being processed”.

Zarif told NBC News on Monday that his country does not want a war with the US, but said Trump must lift harsh economic sanctions to clear way for negotiations.

“Once those sanctions are lifted, then … the room for negotiation is wide open,” he said, adding that “it is the United States that left the bargaining table. And they’re always welcome to return.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Monday said parties should remain calm and exercise restraint and adhere to dialogue under the framework of the JCPOA. He criticized the US maximum pressure strategy as “the root cause of how the Iranian nuclear issue has come to this pass”.

“We hope the US will abandon its wrong course, respect the legitimate rights and interests of other parties, stop obstructing the implementation of the JCPOA, and work toward the political and diplomatic solution of this issue,” Geng said.