European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss how to avoid a military escalation in the Persian Gulf and save the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement ahead of the meeting, calling for dialogue and affirming their commitment to the agreement. Meanwhile, the United States has granted a visa to Iran's foreign minister to attend a UN meeting in New York this week. The U.S. had earlier threatened to sanction the top Iranian diplomat. Tensions have been rising between the two countries since Washington pulled out of the nuclear deal last year.