Zarif’s Letter to Borrell Contains No Plan

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s letter to the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, outlines Iran’s stance on the status of the 2015 nuclear deal and contains no initiative. 
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Saturday that Zarif has written multiple times to Borrell, as coordinator of the nuclear deal, and earlier to former EU chief diplomat, Federica Mogherini, about the agreement, adding that the recent letter is in line with the regular correspondence, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported. 
The spokesman’s remarks came after US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Friday that Washington and Tehran have begun indirect diplomacy with Europeans and others by conveying messages about how they might resume compliance with the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 
“Diplomacy with Iran is ongoing, just not in a direct fashion at the moment,” Sullivan told reporters.
“There are communications through the Europeans and through others that enable us to explain to the Iranians what our position is with respect to the compliance for compliance approach and to hear what their position is.” 
Washington pulled out of JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran, forcing it to eventually scale back its commitments in response, although it remained within the agreement. 
The new administration has said it would rejoin the deal, but only after Iran resumes full compliance. 
Iran maintains that the US must take the first step by removing the sanctions completely and effectively, since it violated the deal in the first place and reimposed sanctions. 
In his Friday letter, Zarif has censured the US and European parties for their poor performance with regard to the landmark agreement. 
“It is announced in the letter that if the United States intends to reform its illegal measures in violating the JCPOA and imposing cruel sanctions, the first essential step is to return to full compliance as the violating party,” Khatibzadeh said. 
Zarif has also reiterated that Iran would reverse all its measures only after other parties fully implement their commitments. 
Iranian officials have repeatedly declared that the US return to its commitments needs no negotiation. Tehran has also rejected an invitation by Borrell to an informal meeting with JCPOA parties and the UN, saying the time is not ripe for such a meeting with sanctions in full effect. 
Zarif has laid out the path “Commit, Act, Meet”, which involves the US announcement of its commitment and implementation of its obligations before joining the meetings of the JPCOA Joint Commission.