LONDON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Britain and Germany on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the Iran nuclear deal despite pressure from the United States.

A Downing Street spokesperson said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed via phone "shared interests in ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and reaffirmed their continued commitment to preserving the JCPoA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)," the spokesperson said in a press release.

"The leaders also discussed Libya and the importance of continued dialogue with international and regional partners to reduce tensions and encourage support for the UN-led process," the spokesperson added.

Iran nuclear deal, or the JCPoA, was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China, plus Germany) and the European Union. Tehran had agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear weapons program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions.

Since its unilateral exit from the deal in 2018, Washington has been mounting pressure on Tehran through a series of sanctions. Iran has maintained a tough stance and scaled back its nuclear commitments in response.