The committee assigned by the Supreme National Security Council to monitor the Iranian nuclear deal has so far verified the other side’s compliance with the terms of the agreement.
The pact was struck with P5+1 (the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany) on July 14 and went into effect on Jan. 16 to scale down Tehran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, IRNA reported.
“The committee overseeing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action has confirmed that the other side has carried out its commitments so far. The council will monitor the deal and provide due response in the event of any breach by the other side,” Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday, using the formal title of the accord.
“The committee convenes regularly and the government acts based on the committee’s decisions.”
On recent changes made to the US visa waiver program to tighten control on travelers to Iran, he said, “The US administration and Secretary of State John Kerry have pledged to enforce the visa law in a way that will not undermine Iran’s economic interests because of the JCPOA.
“They have made some arrangements to ensure that businessmen and other people visiting Iran for business purposes will not be affected by the restrictions.”
The new visa law passed in response to the Nov. 13 deadly attacks in Paris claimed by the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group took effect on Jan. 22. It requires visitors from the 38 visa waiver countries, previously allowed to enter the US without a visa, to obtain a visa to travel to the country if they have been to Syria, Iraq, Iran or Sudan during the past five years.
The backlash by Iranian diplomats, who strongly denounced the US move as a violation of its JCPOA commitments, compelled Kerry to send a letter to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Dec. 20, reassuring that his country will implement the amendments “so as not to interfere with the legitimate business interests of Iran.”
“Some other arrangements are underway to ease travel restrictions for other visitors to Iran as well. We are waiting to see if [the US administration] fulfills its pledges and how the new law will affect the implementation of the JCPOA. We will decide accordingly,” Araqchi said.
