Araqchi Blasts US Antagonism against Resumption of Iran's Global Banking Ties after N. Deal

EghtesadOnline: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi lambasted the US for its destructive role against the resumption of Tehran's banking relations with the world states after the last year nuclear agreement.

News ID: ۷۶۸۲۱۸

17 July 2016

"The Americans have not only remained adamant to building trust (between the Iranian banks and their foreign counterparts after the nuclear deal), but also played a destructive role in this regard," Araqchi told reporters in a press conference in Tehran on Sunday.

According to FNA, asked about the US congress' bill to ban purchase of heavy water from Iran, he said, "If the approval is implemented, the Americans will sustain the damage (since) we are now known as a heavy water exporter in the world and Iran's only undertaking (based on the nuclear deal) is supplying its excessive heavy water to the global markets."

In relevant remarks on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blasted the US for its negative approach towards implementation of the last year nuclear agreement, and said the Europeans are also angry at Washington's behavior.

"Every one says that the Americans haven’t implemented the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear deal) in the best way possible," Zarif told FNA.

"The European sides also have problem with the Americans as they have some psychological concerns" as a result of the Iranophobia projects implemented against Tehran in the past.

Also, on Tuesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi urged the US to show full compliance with its undertakings under the last July nuclear deal with Iran.

"The US undertakings are much more than what it has done and we have not yet reached full agreement with the large banks, and the other side and the US should break this (negative) atmosphere," Takh Ravanchi said.

"We have made good progress in certain fields and in other arenas we think that the other side, specially the Americans, should do more in area of the sanctions, specially the banking embargos," he added.

Takht Ravanchi referred to the western powers' response to Iran's demands for full implementation of the nuclear deal, and said that they claim that they have removed sanctions under the nuclear deal, but "we have told them that calling off sanctions on paper is not enough and they need to break the negative atmosphere that they created and spread when imposing the sanctions".

Earlier this month, Takht Ravanchi said that full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (last July nuclear deal) would serve the interests of both Iran and the world powers, cautioning that Tehran can resume its frozen nuclear activities in case of the opposite side's disloyalty.

"I think that if the JCPOA produces results, it will benefit everyone; meaning that the good implementation of the nuclear deal will be beneficial to everyone because no party wants to return to the past," Takht Ravanchi said.

Noting that the world powers are aware of Iran's possibilities to restore its past nuclear program which was restricted after the nuclear deal, he said, "They know the Islamic Republic of Iran's capabilities in the nuclear field and are aware of our scientific level."

In April, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi strongly warned the western members of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) against violating the July nuclear deal, saying that any such violation would receive Tehran's firm response.

"Legally speaking, there is a possibility that the other side misuses a point in the nuclear deal, but meantime, the document enjoys such an integrity and power that the other side doesn’t allow itself to create any problem," Salehi said, addressing Iranian foreign ministry officials in Tehran.

He underlined that Tehran will continue monitoring the other side's commitment to its undertakings with its eyes open wide. "I firmly announce that we act upon the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei)'s views in a way that if the other side does not comply with its undertakings appropriately, we will show a proper reaction."

His remarks came after the US and certain other western states have been witnessed as dragging their feet in implementing undertakings based on the nuclear deal which included removal of sanctions against Tehran.