Only words: Iran blasts Europe for total non-compliance with nuclear deal
European countries have done nothing to actually fulfill their obligations under the landmark nuclear deal with Iran, producing only words about their “commitment” instead, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said.
Tehran has fully complied with the nuclear agreement – officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – while European countries have proved to be reluctant to fulfil their part of the deal, Zarif told Al-Alam TV channel in an interview aired Saturday.
Europe has not complied with any of the terms of the agreement in practice. Ostensibly, it has, but not in practice. What Europe has to do is to implement the deal.
“The UN Security Council issued a resolution on the JCPOA. The resolution follows two objectives: guarantee the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and guarantee the normalization of Iran's economic relations with the world,” Iran's top diplomat added.
While European countries have repeatedly urged Tehran to stick to the deal and expressed their continued commitment to the JCPOA, their real actions speak for themselves.
“I ask European governments: how many European companies are currently operating in Iran? How many European banks are working with Iran? Instead of ostensibly fulfilling the deal, they'd better implement it in reality and show their support,” Zarif stated.
The 2015 JCPOA deal, that encompasses severe limitations on the Iranian nuclear program in return for economic benefits, has been falling apart since US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the deal back in 2018 and reimpose sanctions on the country. While the EU harshly criticized the move and proclaimed its continued support to the agreement, European companies ceased their operations in Iran over the threat of secondary sanctions from the US.
Early in May, Iran suspended a number of its obligations under the nuclear agreement, citing the inability of the other signees to mitigate the damage done by the US. Tehran gave them 60 days to secure the economic interests of the country, threatening to drop other JCPOA obligations if the demand is not met. The EU, however, rejected the Iranian “ultimatum” and urged Tehran to stick to the agreement instead.
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