Iran said the reaction of the global community to Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, or JCPOA, raises serious doubts about the validity and wisdom of American foreign policy.
“The reaction at the international level to the unlawful US withdrawal from the JCPOA clearly raises serious doubts concerning the logic and wisdom of American policy,” Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi told the annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
Salehi said “Ever since the agreement went into effect in January 2016, Iran, as stipulated in 12 IAEA reports, has fully complied with the provisions of the deal and implemented all its nuclear-related commitments. This is a simple, undeniable and generally recognized fact.”
He went on to say that “The international community’s opposition to the US withdrawal, as widely analyzed and discussed and as all of us understand, does not merely reflect their deep fury at the American unilateralism but also their concern about the extremely difficult situation in our immediate region with all its pervasive chaos, and the existing menace of terrorism,” Tasnim News Agency reported.
US President Donald Trump said in May he was pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal, which lifted international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities. Many fear the US withdrawal will lead to the death of the agreement.
Some US sanctions lifted under the deal have already been re-imposed while others are due to resume in November. European powers are struggling to help protect Iranian oil revenues and shield companies from the US measures to keep them in Iran, but many firms have pulled out regardless.
***Practical Steps
Salehi called on the EU to come up with “solid and practical measures” if they are serious in their bid to save the historic deal.
“What has transpired thus far regarding the JCPOA, by the EU and others, while encouraging, certainly needs to be further complemented by more solid and practical steps. Now is the time for EU to uphold its commitments,” he said.
“We believe the approach of gradualism adopted thus far is not the proper mechanism in response to the situation arising from the reckless US policy in undermining the UN Security Council resolution 2231,” Salehi said, referring to the UNSC resolution endorsing the JCPOA.
**Moral Imperative
Salehi called on the UN nuclear watchdog to remain impartial in its assessment of Iran’s activities.
“Observing the merits of the nuclear deal and its moral imperative, we hope the agency will continue executing its mandate with necessary professionalism and impartiality,” he said.
“Technical reports should be prepared solely on the basis of objective assessments and need to be kept free from politically-motivated elements. Within this context, we look forward to the agency’s expedition of the process of drawing broader conclusion on our nuclear program,” he concluded.
