The European Union has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Brussels for talks over the landmark nuclear deal reached between Iran and major powers in 2015 on Thursday.
"The EU High Representative Federica Mogherini will convene a meeting with ministers of foreign affairs of E3 countries—France, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, and the UK Boris Johnson—and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Thursday, January 11, in Brussels," said a statement by the 28-member bloc released late on Monday, Press TV reported.
"The meeting will take place in the context of the ongoing work to ensure a full and continued implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," added the statement, released after a senior Iranian diplomat warned about possible withdrawal of the United States from the international agreement.
The EU statement came after Tehran rejected media reports linking the upcoming meeting between Iranian and EU officials to recent riots in Iran. Last week, Iran witnessed protests against recent price hikes and the overall economic situation of the country. However, groups of violent individuals, some of them armed, sought to turn the peaceful protests into street riots.
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China—plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.
Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.
Since the deal's implementation, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been verifying and monitoring Iran's compliance with its nuclear-related commitments under the accord and has consistently verified the Islamic Republic's adherence.
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