Iran says U.S. sanctions intended to derail efforts to save nuclear deal

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Iran said on Wednesday that new sanctions imposed on it by Washington were an attempt to derail efforts to save the 2015 nuclear deal by its remaining signatories following the U.S. withdrawal from the accord.

The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Iran's central bank governor, three other individuals and an Iraq-based bank, a week after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal Iran signed with world powers to curb its nuclear programme.

Iran has described the sanctions as illegal and has warned that if talks to rescue the accord fail, it would ramp up its nuclear programme to a level more advanced than before.

"With such destructive measures, the American government is trying to influence the will and decision of the remaining signatories of the JCPOA (nuclear agreement)," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

British, French and German foreign ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday to see how they can save the nuclear deal without the United States, but appeared hard-pressed over how their companies could continue doing business with Iran once Washington begins to reimpose sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the meeting had been a good start, but he wanted to see guarantees materialise.

The Europeans and Iranians have now tasked experts to come up with measures quickly and will meet again in Vienna next week. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)