U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his French, German and British counterparts convened and jointly affirmed “their shared objective of Iran’s return to full compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA”, while the U.S. underscored that “if Iran comes back into strict compliance… the U.S. will do the same and is prepared to engage in discussions with Iran toward that end”. The four sides further urged “Iran not to take any additional steps, in particular with respect to the suspension of the Additional Protocol and to any limitations on IAEA verification activities”, adding: “The E3 and the U.S. are united in underlining the dangerous nature of a decision to limit IAEA access, and urge Iran to consider the consequences of such grave action, particularly at this time of renewed diplomatic opportunity”. They also reiterated “their determination to then strengthen the JCPOA and, together with regional parties and the wider international community, address broader security concerns related to Iran’s missile programs and regional activities”, while urging “Iran to release all our arbitrarily detained nationals”. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif subsequently maintained: “Our remedial measures are a response to U.S. and E3 [JCPOA] violations. Remove the cause if you fear the effect. We'll follow action with action”.