French President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump hours before the latter is widely expected to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. The French presidency said that Trump did not indicate to Macron whether he will withdraw from the deal. In a terse statement, the Elysee Palace said only that the two men "discussed matters relating to peace and stability in the Middle East," with no specific mention of Iran. Macron has positioned himself as the emissary for European officials seeking a compromise that would keep the deal intact, after months of warnings by Trump that it fails to guarantee Tehran wont eventually build a nuclear weapon. He had hoped to successfully argue his case during a state visit to Washington last month, but later made no secret that he believed Trump had already made up his mind to scrap the Obama-era accord. The agreement, struck in 2015 by the United States, other world powers and Iran, lifted most US and international sanctions against the country. In return, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program making it impossible to produce a bomb, along with rigorous inspections. In Iran, many were deeply concerned about how Trumps decision could affect the already struggling economy. In Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani sought to calm nerves, smiling as he appeared at a petroleum expo. He didnt name Trump directly, but emphasized that Iran continued to seek "engagement with the world."