BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China commended Iran's strict fulfillment of its obligations under the Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) so far and would continue to maintain and carry out the deal with relevant parties, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing when asked for comments about the prospect of the JCPOA and the policy of imposing maximum pressure by the United States after the U.S. government announced its decision to stop issuing sanctions waivers to any country importing oil from Iran in April. However, the European Union, France, Germany and the United Kingdom reiterated their support for the JCPOA, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.

"The JCPOA is a multilateral agreement ratified by the UN Security Council, which is conducive to upholding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime as well as peace and stability in the Middle East," Geng said, stressing the deal should be implemented in a comprehensive and effective way.

China firmly opposes the unilateral sanctions and so-called "long-arm jurisdiction" imposed by the United States on Iran and has reiterated many times that normal energy cooperation under international law between Iran and other countries is totally reasonable, legitimate and legal, and must be respected and protected, said the spokesperson.

Geng said China commended the Iranian side's strict fulfillment of its obligations under the JCPOA so far and would work with relevant parties to maintain and carry out the deal, as well as safeguard the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses.