US Blocking EU Adherence to JCPOA

The US is hindering the European Union’s adherence to the historic Iran nuclear deal, says Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Zarif made the remark on his official twitter account late on Monday, following a meeting with France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Tehran.

“In meeting today, told France FM: EU should compel US to abide by JCPOA rather than trying to appease it by repeating its extraneous demands. To defend the nuclear agreement, mere words are not sufficient. Especially since the US is an obstacle to EU’s own adherence to JCPOA,” he said, Press TV reported.

Iran and six major powers signed the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in July 2015 and started implementing it in January 2016. Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions. US President Donald Trump has criticzed the deal, which was negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, as “the worst and most one-sided transaction Washington has ever entered into.”

Trump has threatened to pull out of the pact unless the US Congress and America’s European allies help “fix” it with a follow-up agreement by May 12, the next deadline for Iran sanctions waivers