Ministers from Germany, the UK and France, along with EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini, have signed a letter asking the US to allow its companies to continue to trade with Iran and spare certain industries from punitive measures.

The letter, dated June 4, was addressed to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It expressed ‘strong regret’ over President  Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran deal, to which their nations were also signatories.