Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned of countdown to suspend the implementation of the Additional Protocol.
In a televised program on Sunday night, Araqchi said it does not appear that the US will take any action to lift the sanctions by February 23, adding that Tehran will halt the implementation of the Additional Protocol.
Meanwhile, he added that the Islamic Republic is considering the proposal of the European Union to hold an informal meeting between the members of the 2015 nuclear deal together with the United States.
“We are studying the proposal, communicate with friends – Russia and China – on the issue. Following consultations, we will make a decision”, the Iranian diplomat said during his appearance on TV.
He noted that one of US President Joe Biden’s campaign slogans was to return to the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“The JCPOA was the achievement of the Democrats, and it was natural for them to have an incentive to return to it. Trump’s policy of maximum pressure also failed, and that policy had to be changed,” said Araqchi.
“The Zionist regime has always been opposed to the JCPOA, and there were other countries in the region that opposed it too,” he noted.
Referring to Biden’s recent remarks, he said, “He did not explicitly announce that he would return to the JCPOA, but announced his readiness to return to the talks. It seems that they have not yet been able to overcome internal tensions and reach a unified policy to return to the JCPOA.”
“No one can question Iran’s goodwill regarding the JCPOA. We negotiated in good faith and by reaching an agreement, we fully adhered to our commitments and acted on them, and even after the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA, we remained in the deal for up to a year and fulfilled our obligations. 15 IAEA reports prove Iran’s adherence to its obligations,” Arqhchi highlighted.
Source: Sputnik and Mehr news agencies
