Araqchi: Removal of sanctions not Iran’s sole objective with JCPOA

EghtesadOnline: Foreign Ministry Deputy for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said removal of sanctions was an important goal for Iran in signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) but it was not the only one.

News ID: ۷۶۸۱۹۰

17 July 2016

In a press conference on Sunday, Araqchi who heads the task force on the JCPOA implementation said despite the failure of other parties to keep with their promises and proper implementation of the nuclear agreement the fact remains that Iran did not just want to have sanctions removed, IRNA reports.

He said all resistance and perseverance practiced by the Iranian nation was to highlight the fact that nuclear energy was Iran’s inalienable right.

He said this objective has already been achieved as six world powers together with international organizations have acknowledged this right.

He said the other parties have complied with their commitments to remove sanctions but only on paper which means they have not done that in practice.

Araqchi said the other parties should create the apt ground for removal of sanctions in practical terms.

He said the JCPOA has failed to meet many of nation’s expectations but at the same time succeeded in fulfilling many of its wishes.

The diplomats said big banks have not started work with Iran yet which might be due to factors irrelevant to the JCPOA.

He said the US made the most out of this situation.

In a letter written by Iran’s Minister of Economy and Finance to the FATF Secretariat which is the international body in charge of promoting policies to confront money-laundering and financial aids to terrorists, Araqchi said, Iran has voiced readiness to take on an action plan to exclude the country from the list of non-cooperative countries.

Stressing that Iran conducted nuclear talks not with a single government but six of them, he said Iran is not worrying about the JCPOA and is ready to reverse the course of agreement upon the guidelines offered by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

He advised Mr Trump (US presidential election hopeful) or any other person in the US not to dream of any other courses of negotiations.

He said Iran is faithful to its JCPOA commitments.