Europe's proposals to salvage the nuclear deal are not "satisfying" for Iran, a senior official said on Tuesday, adding that all sides would lose if Iran is sidelined by the West in the region.
Proposals received from the European Union after the US unilateral withdrawal from the agreement are not good enough and do not meet Tehran's expectations, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Oslo.
Salehi is the Norwegian capital to take part in the two-day Oslo Forum, which was scheduled to wrap up on Wednesday.
More than 100 participants attended the meeting and discussed peacemaking efforts and challenges in the world, including in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Mali, according to the UN news center.
Economic Gains
Salehi criticized the United States' "destructive" approach to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, adding that Tehran did not get the benefits promised under the deal in various areas, including in investment and banking, ISNA reported.
He called on the UN and European countries to take a robust stance against the US administration's wrong policies and support the nuclear accord.
Referring to regional developments, Salehi said Iran plays a "significant" role in the Middle East, adding that attempts to confront it in the region are doomed.
"If the present trends continue all sides will lose," the report quoted the nuclear chief as saying.
Global Peace
The UN secretary-general stressed the importance of the nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, on the second anniversary of its implementation.
"The secretary-general remains convinced that the JCPOA is the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and to realize the promised tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people," said Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement on Wednesday, Xinhua reported. Iran denies having any nuclear weapons ambitions.
Major Achievement
"The JCPOA constitutes a major achievement of nuclear non-proliferation and diplomacy, and has contributed to regional and international peace and security," the statement added.
The secretary-general noted that the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has repeatedly confirmed that Iran is fulfilling its nuclear-related commitments under the deal, it said.
Under the deal, Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
