President Hassan Rouhani has once again denounced the US withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear deal, saying the ball is now in Europe’s court to make up for Washington’s absence and work to keep the landmark agreement alive.
Rouhani made the remark Tuesday during a meeting with Britain's new ambassador to Tehran, Rob Macaire, who submitted his credentials to the president.
“Today, we are at a very important historic moment regarding the JCPOA,” Rouhani said, referring to the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, his official website reported.
The president said the European parties need to openly declare what measures they intend to take to make up for Washington’s “illegal” pullout from the deal.
On May 8, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA despite objections from Europe as well as Russia and China — the other signatories to the deal.
The withdrawal entails the reimposition of not only sanctions on Iran but also the so-called secondary sanctions on third countries.
However, the Europeans have expressed their desire to maintain business links with Iran and have presented Tehran with some incentives to help save the JCPOA.
***Iran Not After Tensions
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has never sought tension in the region and does not want any problem for the international waterways, but will never relinquish its rights to export oil," the president said.
Last month, Rouhani said that the “Americans have claimed they want to completely stop Iran’s oil exports. They don’t understand the meaning of this statement, because it has no meaning for Iranian oil not to be exported, while others in the region sell their crude.”
Iran has “Always been ready to build cordial relations with European countries, and now, following the US illegal exit from the JCPOA, the ball is in Europe’s court in the limited remaining period,” Rouhani told the UK diplomat.
The ambassador, whose country – along with France and Germany – is a party to the nuclear deal, expressed his government’s support for the JCPOA, saying the Europeans are making efforts to preserve the accord.
He said the UK attaches importance to Iran’s policy of reducing tension in the region, and wants to develop ties with Tehran.
