Nuclear Deal Requires More European Efforts to Survive

EghtesadOnline: A senior Iranian diplomat said the 2015 nuclear deal with major powers is under “intensive care”, requiring the European signatories to the deal to intensify efforts to save the accord.

News ID: ۷۴۸۸۹۳

30 November 2019

Talking to the Dutch NRC website, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said Iran has done its part as per the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“Now, it is the other JCPOA parties’ turn to do the same. We accepted to limit our nuclear program [under the deal], but were made a target of the United States’ maximum pressure [campaign] in return. Under such circumstances, JCPOA’s other partners are bound to think up practical approaches to extricate Iran from the sanctions,” Financial Tribune quoted him as saying.

“European countries claim they seek to save the agreement, but so far, they have actually shown that they are either incapable or reluctant to resist the US dominance over Europe’s financial system to protect it.”

The deal between Iran and the P5+1 group—the United States, the UK, France, Russia and China, plus Germany—lifted nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, which voluntarily curbed some aspects of its nuclear energy program.

The United States, however, quit the deal last May in a move that flew in the face of the agreement’s multi-party nature, and the fact that the accord has been ratified in the form of a UN Security Council resolution.

After the US reimposed sanctions against Iran, European firms fell into line with the American bans by abandoning their business operations in Iran.

Araqchi said recent developments concerning the nuclear accord had taught Iran that the result of this agreement and [Iran’s] commitment toward it have been undermined by the new sanctions.

“Should things continue to proceed like this, we too may be forced to change our approach,” he cautioned.

This May, Iran began reducing its JCPOA commitments under a step-by-step schedule in reaction to the US withdrawal and the European side’s failure to honor their side of the deal.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly asserted that it would roll back all the retaliatory steps it has taken once the European countries begin meeting Iran’s business interests as the deal demands them.