Iran to announce countermeasures to Washington’s breach of the nuclear deal

Tabnak – One year after its withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal with Iran, the United States is trying to tighten the grip on Iran by imposing fresh sets of restrictions on Iranian energy and nuclear industry. In a sign showing that Iran’s patience in running out, the Islamic Republic is expected to announce countermeasures against Washington’s breach of the deal.

According to the official Iranian media, the Islamic Republic of Iran plans to announce its measures in response to the Western parties’ refusal to meet commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

According to informed sources on Monday, Tehran will use its rights under the JCPOA to show reaction on the occasion of the anniversary of US decision to withdraw from the deal.

The sources said based on the rights envisioned in JCPOA’s paragraph of 26 on the EU commitments and also in paragraphs of 36 and 37 which are about dispute resolution mechanism, Iran plans to decrease some of its commitments and resume a number of its nuclear activities that have been ceased under the JCPOA.

However, experts believe that Iran’s measures will be within the framework of the JCPOA and will not mean withdrawal from the deal.

Based on paragraph 36 of the deal “If Iran believed that any or all of the E3/EU+3 were not meeting their commitments under this JCPOA, Iran could refer the issue to the Joint Commission for resolution.” Then, the Joint Commission would have 15 days to resolve the issue.

Also the paragraph 37 says that “Iran has stated that if sanctions are reinstated in whole or in part, Iran will treat that as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part.”

Iranian semi-official news agency ISNA, Iran is still keeping the door open to diplomacy in order to give the other parties to the JCPOA a second chance to return to diplomacy and quit the erroneous path of unilateralism by proving their full commitment to the nuclear deal with Iran one more time.

EU officials, who have undertaken commitments, but failed to live up to them over the past year, have been unofficially informed of Iran's new plans, it added. ISNA also quoted informed sources as saying that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will probably announce the plans during a televised address.

US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington in May 2018 from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement, reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany -- in July 2015. He also decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.