BRUSSELS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell denied on Sunday the unilateral announcement made by the United States to resume United Nations (UN) sanctions on Iran.

Borrell said, as he previously insisted, the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and therefore "cannot initiate the process of reinstating UN sanctions under the UN Security Council resolution 2231."

"Consequently, sanctions lifting commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal) continue to apply," he said.

As coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission, Borrell pledged to continue to ensure the preservation and full implementation of the JCPOA by Iran and other participants.

He regarded the deal as a key pillar of the global non-proliferation architecture, and called on all parties to preserve the agreement and refrain from "action that could be perceived as an escalation in the current situation."

The U.S. claimed on Saturday that all pre-2015 UN sanctions against Iran had been restored. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions are being re-imposed according to the "snapback" mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

The comprehensive nuclear deal was inked by Iran in July 2015 with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S., together with the EU. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, withdrew from it on May 8, 2018, and unilaterally reimposed sanctions on Tehran, despite objections from the international community.