(JNS) Germany, the United Kingdom, France and the European Union urged Iran to back down from recent threats to raise its enrichment of uranium above levels allowed under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but stopped short of threatening to reimpose sanctions lifted under the nuclear deal if Iran does not comply.

Germany said it was “extremely concerned” by Iran’s July 7 announcement that it would raise uranium enrichment above the limit. However, it would wait for more information from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before taking any action. France and England issued similar statements. The IAEA said it was still waiting for its inspectors in Iran to report to IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called upon world leaders to enforce the deal, comparing the situation to the onset of Nazi rule in Europe. “World War II began in Europe … when Nazi Germany took one small step, reentering the Rhineland. It was a small step, no one said anything and no one did anything,” said Netanyahu. “The next step was the Anschluss … and the step after that was the entry into Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. The rest is known.”