Tehran’s refusal to take decisive retaliatory measures against the United States for exiting the 2015 nuclear deal and against Europe for failing to fulfill its pledges is aimed at proving to the world that Iran has been fully committed to its obligations and is not an unfaithful party, a lawmaker said.
Mohammad Javad Jamali, a member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, added that Iran’s patience with the European Union is a gesture of good faith, ICANA reported.
The nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed with major world powers in 2015 to curb Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Last May, the US withdrew from the accord and reimposed sanctions that were lifted under the agreement.
Europe pledged compensatory steps to counter the impact of unilateral sanctions, but has so far failed to implement them.
Iran has refrained from quitting JCPOA in the hope of managing to resist the pressure with the help of other parties or non-parties to the pact without violating international laws as the US did.
“Goodwill, as evidenced by holding several months of talks with Europe, has taken priority in the country’s political and economic diplomacy regarding JCPOA, but unfortunately, it has been misunderstood,” Jamali said.
According to the lawmaker, the policy of engaging in negotiations to save the deal has been misinterpreted as Iran’s weakness.
“Based on our economic diplomacy, if talks with EU do not produce a result, [increasing] cooperation with neighboring countries and other states we can work with such as China, Russia and India should be on Iran’s agenda,” he said.
Jamali pointed to Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif’s ongoing trip to India, saying it is the best time for such a visit to boost relations with the South Asian country.
Zarif set off on Monday on a three-day trip to India, which is Iran’s second-biggest oil client after China. It is among eight countries that have been given a temporary US waiver to continue buying Iranian crude.
