(Reuters) -- "The president spoke of the importance of preserving the Iran nuclear deal, and the necessity for all parties to the agreement to respect the commitments they made," the Elysee statement said.

The telephone exchange took place on Friday, but it was not immediately clear whether it came before or after U.S. President Donald Trump gave the nuclear deal a final reprieve whilst warning European allies they had to work with him to "fix the terrible flaws" of the pact or face U.S. withdrawal.

(Photo: REUTERS)