Russia Urges Europe to Take Responsibility for JCPOA Preservation

EghtesadOnline: Russia has called on France, Germany and Britain to take the responsibility of preserving Iran's 2015 nuclear deal by ensuring the country's unimpeded international trade.

News ID: ۷۴۷۹۹۷

28 July 2019

"We are urging European troika to recognize its responsibility for maintaining the nuclear deal, keeping their promises on the development of economic ties with Iran without any obstacles," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday, Sputnik reported.

The international deal on Iran's nuclear program has been fraying since the United States abandoned it unilaterally last year and reimposed sweeping sanctions against Tehran.

Other parties have been striving to keep it alive, with the three European parties introducing a payment channel to facilitate trade with Iran without the US dollar. It has begun its first transactions, but has stopped short of meeting Iran's economic objectives so far, according to Financial Tribune.

Iran has initiated its reciprocal plan by gradually scaling back its commitments under the accord, but has declared that all moves would be reversed as soon as its trade and oil export woes are addressed.

"[It is] counterproductive to demand that Iran unilaterally keep its commitments under JCPOA [the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], when other participants, our western colleagues above all, do not do that," Lavrov said.

Critical Conditions

The Russian foreign minister pointed out that Iran still diligently adheres to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Nevertheless, Lavrov described the situation around Iran as "a cause for serious concern", calling on Iranian officials to show restraint.

"The development of the situation has reached a dangerous line, which is fraught with risks of large-scale warfare. We must do our best to prevent it," he said.

Tensions between Iran and the US have taken a military dimension in recent months, with several attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf and incidents involving drones.

Lavroc also called on other countries to support a Russian security doctrine of zero extra-regional military presence in the Middle East to prevent such a scenario.

This is while some European countries and the US have separately proposed the formation of a coalition of navies to police the Strait of Hormuz.