Concurrent with French President Emmanuel Macron's trip to the United States, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has warned Europe about going over Iran's head to reach a deal with Washington regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Macron appears to be offering US President Donald Trump a “new deal” to persuade him to remain in the nuclear deal, which was achieved in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany).

In a joint press conference with Trump on April 24, Macron stated, “Regarding Iran, we have a disagreement regarding the JCPOA. But I think we are overcoming it by deciding to work toward a deal — an overall deal that will enable us to deal with the nuclear issue but also treat it together with [other] … issues, which were not being dealt with so far.” The deal Macron spoke of includes Iran’s ballistic missile program and its regional influence.

In reaction to Macron’s proposal, Rouhani said in a press conference during his trip to the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan on April 25, “At present, the United States is on trial because it hasn't lived up to its commitments, and if Europe wants to satisfy Trump, it better spend out of its own pocket and not Iran's.” He added, “Not a single sentence will be added or removed from the [JCPOA].”