‘Unreliable partner’: US tries to make other countries break Iran deal promises, says Russian envoy
Not only did the US not honour its end of the Iran deal, but “it’s trying to prevent other countries from keeping their promises”, Russia’s Envoy to International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a session of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ulyanov said that the US “discredited itself by proving to be an unreliable partner”.
He pointed out that by pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and re-imposing extraterritorial sanctions on Tehran, Washington isn’t letting other countries honour their end of the Iran deal.
“US grievances about Tehran’s nuclear activity are contrived in our opinion”, said the diplomat, adding that they are just a “smokescreen” to settle scores with Tehran. He also highlighted that Washington’s actions undermine trust for the international system of IAEA guarantees. He said Iran is the country, which is being checked most thoroughly by the IAEA, while the proliferation risk it poses is practically zero.
At the same time Ulyanov praised Iran for its “wise and balanced” approach in dealing with Washington and its attempt to keep its side of the agreement despite the tough situation it has been put in. He expressed hope that “comprehensive accords on the Iranian nuclear program will still work for the benefit of peace and stability” and assured that Russia’s role in contributing to peace will remain unchanged.
READ MORE: Iran to boost production of uranium enrichment material – state atomic agency
On May 8 US President Donald Trump decided to pull his country out of the JCPOA, undoing years of diplomacy. The historic deal between Iran, the US, Russia, China, the UK, Germany and France was signed in 2015. It curbed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. Signatories, including France, Britain and Germany vowed to stick to the accord and condemned Trump for withdrawing. Tehran also said it remains committed to the deal, stating that it would take steps to revamp its uranium enrichment program within the JCPOA framework.
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