European Proposal to Save JCPOA a Good Start

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says the European package to save the 2015 nuclear deal may not be ideal but could be an opening for the future.

“If the Europeans, as they have promised in the proposal, stay committed and if they really implement  what they have proposed to us…it could be a good start for a good relationship with Europe and then try to expand it further,” Ali Akbar Salehi told Press TV in remarks published late Monday.

“The JCPOA is a deal that is in the interest of my nation, it is in the interest of the region, and it is in the interest of the international community. So I wish that this deal will stay intact and will not be jeopardized further,” the senior nuclear official said, using the abbreviation for the nuclear accord’s formal name—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“If it fails, if it breaks down, nobody will benefit from that,” he added.

Expressing optimism about the fate of the nuclear agreement, Salehi said if the world community joins hands, the accord can help serve as a good example for resolving future international crises.