Borrell Vows All-Out Efforts to Preserve Nuclear Deal

The European Union foreign policy chief said on the fifth anniversary of the 2015 nuclear deal that he is determined to do everything possible together with the remaining signatories and the international community to preserve the agreement. 
“It is a historic multilateral achievement for global nuclear non-proliferation and is contributing to regional and global security,” Josep Borrell, who is also the coordinator of the deal’s Joint Commission, said in a statement published on the website of European External Action Service on Tuesday. 
Iran and the six world powers concluded the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, on July 14, 2015. It was subsequently endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council under Resolution 2231. 
Borrell stressed that JCPOA remains the only tool to provide the international community with the necessary assurances regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
“It consists of nuclear-related commitments to be implemented by Iran in exchange for sanctions-lifting by the international community with a view to normalizing trade and economic relations with Iran,” he said, adding that the full implementation of the deal by all sides remains crucial.
The United States pulled out in 2018 and reimposed tough unilateral sanctions on Tehran.
Borrell noted that the remaining parties will continue to work collectively to address, within the framework of the agreement, existing concerns regarding nuclear implementation, as well as the wider impacts of the US withdrawal and reimposition of sanctions.  
US President Donald Trump argued that the deal was defective and incomprehensive, and needed to be renegotiated. He launched a so-called “maximum pressure” campaign to force Iranian leaders to renegotiate the deal on his terms. 
“We should not assume that an opportunity will arise again in the future for the international community to address Iran’s nuclear program in such a comprehensive manner,” Borrell said. 

China Reiterates Support

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying also took the opportunity to reiterate Beijing’s firm support for JCPOA, which she described as an excellent example of resolving regional issues through multilateral approaches.
“No matter how the international situation evolves, China will always stand on the right side of history and work with other parties to the JCPOA to continue advancing the political and diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue,” she said in remarks published on the ministry’s website.  
She censured the US for withdrawing from the JCPOA and “thwarting in every means other parties' implementation of the agreement”.
“Such clear violation of UNSCR 2231 has led to continued tension over the Iranian nuclear issue,” she said. 
Iran began to step away from its commitments as per the provisions of the deal in 2019, after the remaining signatories failed to make up for the US sanctions over the course of one year. 
“Iran's scaling back of compliance is the result of the maximum pressure exerted by the US,” Hua said, adding that preserving and implementing the JCPOA are the right way to resolve the issue.
“Parties to the JCPOA should strengthen dialogue and consultation within the framework of the Joint Commission, seek a solution to the compliance dispute in a step-by-step and reciprocal approach, and restore the balance of rights and obligations under the JCPOA,” she said. 
Hua regretted that the US is attempting to further undermine the JCPOA by pushing for the extension of the Security Council arms embargo against Iran and threatening to activate the snapback mechanism.
The UN arms ban is set to expire in October based on the terms of UNSCR 2231, but Washington is campaigning to prevent its removal. It has threatened to trigger the return of all UN sanctions on Tehran, if its draft resolution fails to win the votes of the UN Security Council. 
“The international community should jointly oppose the US pushing the Security Council to extend or reinstate sanctions against Iran and urge the US to return to the right track of compliance with the JCPOA and UNSCR,” Hua said.