It’s up to Europe whether the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, will remain in place after the activation of the dispute resolution mechanism, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday.
“Well, it depends on Europe,” Zarif said at the Raisina Dialogue conference in New Delhi, when asked whether the move meant the end of the nuclear deal.
The foreign minister added that the JCPOA was signed in 2015 in conditions of “mutual mistrust,” this is why no one presumed full compliance with the obligations, and therefore mechanisms for dealing with the possible violations were created.
Iran, which has recently scrapped its remaining limitations under the JCPOA, remains ready to reverse its steps as soon as Europe resumes compliance, Zarif said, accusing Europe of violations.
“The steps that we have taken are all within the JCPOA … And we have said, immediately after you [Europe] implement your commitments, we will reverse,” Zarif said.
He also rejected any direct negotiations with the US on the JCPOA, adding that he wasn’t sure of the durability of a “Trump deal”.
“We had a U.S. deal and the U.S. broke it. If we have a Trump deal, how long will it last, another 10 months…?” Zarif said.
On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Trump to replace the JCPOA with his own new pact to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The US President responded by tweeting that agreed with Johnson on a “Trump deal”.
Source: Sputnik
