Trump has no choice but to extend JCPOA: Deputy FM

EghtesdaOnline: US President Donald Trump has no choice but to extend the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday.

News ID: ۷۴۰۱۵۲

04 March 2017

According to IRNA, he made the remarks at the national conference on Economy of Resistance and JCPOA.

'If Trump decides to tear up the nuclear deal, he himself should pay the price,' Araqchi noted.

Explaining the costs of tearing up the deal for the US, he said that the US president must extend the JCPOA unless he aims to cause exit of Iran from the deal.

Araqchi said that Iran should act vigilantly and skillfully to decrease the cost for the nation.

The US president is studying the JCPOA now and he should decide about suspension of Iran’s sanctions till May 2017 and at that time, one can guess the new US government policy, he noted.

The official said that there are signs that show the JCPOA will be extended.

'If Iran had not inked the nuclear deal, Trump would be able to make an international consensus against Iran but on the contrary, there is consensus against the US president globally, Araqchi added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, speaking about JCPOA role in Iran’s energy sector, he noted that the JCPOA removed obstacles on the way of country’s economy and permitted the economy to make progress forward.

Araqchi underlined in the meantime that the remaining problems on the way are not related to implementation of JCPOA.

Deputy foreign minister praised the Ministry of Petroleum for using the post-JCPOA opportunity and said that revival of Iran’s oil production and export to the pre-sanctions level in one year was a great job to do.

He said negotiations are underway to ink oil contracts worth 80 billion dollars.

Elaborating the reasons for postponement of singing the oil deal, Araqchi noted that it has been postponed till reaching national consensus on Iran Petroleum Contracts (IPC).

Addressing the critics of the nuclear deal, he said the JCOPA is in good status and the condition in oil and gas sector is very good.