France, Germany and UK seek exemption from US Iran sanctions

France, Germany and Britain are asking the United States to exempt European companies from sanctions on Iran.

The three nations' foreign and finance ministers have sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The European ministers say they "strongly regret" the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from an international nuclear agreement with Iran.

They ask the U.S. administration to "grant exemptions from U.S. sanctions for EU companies" that have been doing business with Iran since the deal came into force in 2016. They also say Iran should not be cut out of the SWIFT system for international money transfers.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, one of the signatories, tweeted Wednesday that EU "businesses must be able to pursue their activities."