Schmid Assures JCPOA Benefits

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Helga Schmid met in Tehran on Saturday to discuss the Iran nuclear deal. 
The discussions were focused on the recent Iranian decision to scale down some of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name of the Iran nuclear deal, in response to the intensified US pressure campaign after its pullout from the agreement and the remaining parties’ failure to take adequate measures to safeguard Iran’s interests, ISNA reported. 
The senior European diplomat briefed Araqchi about the latest status of the European efforts to assure Iran that it will economically benefit from staying in the deal despite US sanctions. 
Schmid arrived in Tehran as part of a tour of the region, which also took her to the UAE, Oman and Qatar. 
The two officials also exchanged views about regional developments amid an escalation of tensions in the Middle East as a result of increasingly hostile US policies against the Islamic Republic. 
EEAS had earlier said in a statement that Schmid's mission would be an opportunity to reiterate the European Union’s call to defuse regional tensions, find ways toward de-escalation and promote dialogue. 
As part of the EU efforts to promote stability in the region, Schmid’s visit would also underline the importance of safeguarding the nuclear deal with Iran, “which continues to be a key element of the non-proliferation architecture and a key pillar of security, both globally and in the region,” the statement added.