Despite rumors, Iran and EU are still working to preserve the nuclear deal

Tabnak – Since the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran and European countries have been working together to find mechanisms for preserving the deal, as well as economic benefits for Tehran. Despite some rumors recently that Tehran is considering withdrawal from the deal, official statements and political developments prove the otherwise.

In this vein, Iran’s Foreign Ministry quashed rumors that it is getting ready to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the multilateral nuclear agreement from which the US has withdrew in May.

In a statement on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi denied the rumors going around in the cyber space that the Foreign Ministry is preparing for the country’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal. “These rumors are definitely false, groundless and purposeful,” Qassemi said.

He added that certain local and foreign groups fabricate such speculations in order to deceive the public opinion, create false tensions, negatively impact the market, and even undermine the livelihood of people.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian diplomat says there have been constructive meetings with the Europeans on a trade mechanism known as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to maintain business despite US sanctions.

In a post on his official twitter account on Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said new initiatives were being designed for the SPV, adding that expert talks in this regard were underway between Iran and the European side.

“I had good meetings with British and French officials and nuclear negotiators in Tehran yesterday and today,” Araqchi said. He added that the European Union as well as the UK, France and Germany had “serious political will” to preserve the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Also on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met his Italian counterpart Moavero Milanesi in Rome on Thursday to review measures taken by the Europeans to protect the 2015 nuclear deal after the US withdrawal.

“The US has violated not only the JCPOA, but also the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and now it is urging others to do the same and threatens to punish the countries that respect it,” Zarif said, referring to the nuclear deal and the UN resolution which endorsed it.

Zarif is in the Italian capital on an official visit to attend the Mediterranean Dialogues Conference (MED).

The Italian foreign minister said the JCPOA helps promote international peace and security, stressing that Rome will make all-out efforts to help protect it along with other EU countries.

In May, US President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the JCPOA, under which Tehran agreed to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions, and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced the re-imposition of the “toughest” sanctions ever against Iran's banking and energy sectors with the aim of cutting off the country's oil sales and crucial exports.