Merkel and Macron vow to save Iran nuclear agreement 

An EU leaders summit backed a "united" approach to keeping Iran deal alive after US President Donald Trump pulled out and reimposed sanctions.

Washington has determined the accord does little or nothing to stop Iran's ballistic missile programme or interference in Middle East conflicts.

"Everyone in the European Union shares the view that the agreement is not perfect, but that we should remain in this agreement and conduct further negotiations with Iran on the basis of other issues such as the ballistic missile programme," Mrs Merkel said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the bloc was working to keep the existing agreement alive "so that our businesses can remain" in Iran.

"When challenges threaten to destabilise the world, the only solution is to join our forces to respond in one voice. European sovereignty is the guarantor of international stability," he said.

The effort to salvage the Iran deal would run alongside the pursuit of negotiations on a broader agreement.

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"The 2015 agreement needs to be completed by a nuclear agreement beyond 2025, an agreement on ballistic activities and (Iran's) regional presence," Mr Macron said.

"International companies with interests in many countries make their own choices according to their own interests," he said. "They should continue to have this freedom.

"But what is important is that companies and especially medium-sized companies which are perhaps less exposed to other markets, American or others, can make this choice freely."

French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walk during the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 17, 2018. Stoyan Nenov / Reuters

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (rear left) and Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila (rear right) speak with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (left) and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel during a round table meeting of EU and Western Balkan heads of state at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia on May 17, 2018. Virginia Mayo / AFP

European Council President Donald Tusk (right) speaks with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel during a round table meeting of EU and Western Balkan heads of state at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia on May 17, 2018. Virginia Mayo / AFP

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, centre, waits for the start of a round table meeting of EU and Western Balkan heads of state at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria. Virginia Mayo / AP Photo

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, left, greets European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during a round table meeting of EU and Western Balkan heads of state at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria, Thursday, May 17, 2018. Virginia Mayo / AP Photo

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras meets with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria. Stoyan Nenov / Reuters

European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn arrives for an EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia on May 17, 2018. Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP

Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (left) speaks with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni during a round table discussion at an informal European Union (EU) summit with Western Balkans countries at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria. Virginia Mayo / EPA

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni (centre) speaks with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa (left) at an informal European Union (EU) summit with Western Balkans countries at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria. Virginia Mayo / EPA

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban during an EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia. Ludovic Marin / AFP

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte waves as he arrives for an EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia on May 17, 2018. Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP

Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic arrives at an informal European Union (EU) summit with Western Balkans countries at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria. Vassil Donev / EPA

Tehran has warned it is prepared to resume "industrial-scale" uranium enrichment "without any restrictions" unless Europe can provide solid guarantees that it can maintain the economic benefits it gained from the nuclear agreement despite Washington reimposing sanctions.

EU experts have begun work drawing up measures to shield the deal from US sanctions, focusing on nine key issues including ensuring Iran can sell its oil and gas products and have access to international finance.

But given the global reach of US government sanctions it is not clear how effective these measures can be, or whether the EU will try to leverage them as a bargaining chip with Washington.