No Decision Yet to Exit NPT

EghtesadOnline: Iran has no intention to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty for now and its nuclear measures are in line with a plan to scale back its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal with the six world powers, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

News ID: ۷۴۸۹۱۶

11 November 2019

Abbas Mousavi made the statement in reference to misunderstandings resulting from remarks by Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran's ambassador to Britain, in a briefing with English journalists about NPT and the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

"The remarks did not mean that Iran has made such a decision or is going toward such a measure, but … Mr. Baeidinejad had mentioned a variety of ideas in the country," Mousavi said in a press briefing on Sunday.

Some groups in Iran believe that being a signatory to NPT is not benefiting the country and the treaty should be abandoned, according to Financial Tribune.

Baeidinejad later clarified in a tweet that Iran does not see the option of leaving NPT as beneficial under the current circumstances.

"What I told the British media was this: the failure of JCPOA naturally would strengthen the idea [of some domestic circles] that Iran should leave the NPT due to the inability to enjoy its rights on peaceful nuclear technology," he wrote on his Twitter account.

JCPOA has been unraveling since the United States abandoned it and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.

Iran began in May to gradually reduce its compliance with the deal to restore balance to the accord and induce European parties to take effective action to make up for the US pressure.

Short of Expectations

Europe has made pledges and taken steps to address Iran's economic problems, but none has delivered the desired result.

The major European initiative was a financial system known as INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges), which was meant to enable trade with Iran on a non-dollar basis, thus bypassing US sanctions.

"INSTEX is almost ready, but has not become operational the way we sought … It requires certain arrangements that have not been completed," Mousavi told reporters.

He explained that INSTEX will be used once those plans are finalized.

Besides trading in essential items, Iran expects the system to facilitate oil export and the repatriation of its revenues.

According to Mousavi, negotiations and consultations with the European side over the nuclear deal are still ongoing, although Iran has entered the fourth phase of exceeding JCPOA limits.

"They know that Iran is determined … and we still have hope that they use the two-month timeframe that we have left for diplomacy again to fulfill their commitments and convince Iran to remain in compliance," he said.

Iran takes one step every 60 days to allow time for practical measures that would protect its economy. It has also stressed that all its moves are reversible.

"The door of diplomacy is still open … We have not pinned hope on any promise and act in accordance with our national interests," Mousavi said.

"We would not sacrifice Iran's interests for non-practical proposals."