TEHRAN - Tehran has confirmed that the Iranian foreign minister and his former American counterpart met during the Munich Security Conference on February 18.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Saturday said Mohammad Javad Zarif and John Kerry’s meeting was held “within the framework to ensure national interests”.

The New Yorker on Friday first reported the private meeting. It said “Kerry quietly urged the Iranians not to abandon the [nuclear] deal or violate its terms, whatever the Trump Administration does.”

Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Britain, Russia, France, China and Germany, reached a historic accord in 2015 over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Zarif and Kerry were leaders of the negotiating teams of Iran and the U.S. respectively.

MH/SP/PA