Europe’s opportunity to save the JCPOA limited – warns Iran

Tabnak – By declaring a decision to reduce its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran is trying to push Europe toward accelerating the fulfillment of its own commitments. While the Europeans are reportedly doubling down on their efforts in this regard, Tehran warns that their opportunity is limited.

Senior European officials say Britain, France and Germany are seriously pursuing the implementation of the Iran-EU special payment mechanism, which is supposed to facilitate trade ties between the two sides after the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on the country.

“The United Kingdom remains committed to the nuclear deal and will try to implement the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX),” said Richard Moore, the director general for political affairs at the UK Foreign Office, referring to the payment mechanism’s official name set up by the three European countries in January to continue trade with Iran despite the US sanctions.

He made the remarks in a Thursday meeting in Tehran with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi. Moore, who is his country’s nuclear negotiator as well, also vowed that London will continue its efforts to meet Iran’s demands.

Araqchi, in turn, urged the remaining signatories to the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to deliver on their commitments under the accord as stipulated in four statements issued by the JCPOA Joint Commission following Washington's illegal withdrawal from the deal.

He called on Europe to take practical steps to secure Iran’s interests in the oil and banking sectors by the 60-day deadline Tehran set forth on May 8.

Meanwhile, Head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Kamal Kharrazi warned the European Union against continued passivity on the US sanctions against the Islamic Republic, saying the opportunity to save the 2015 nuclear deal is limited.

Speaking at a meeting in Paris with Marielle de Sarnez, the chairperson of the French Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Kharrazi highlighted reasons behind a recent decision by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to halt some of the country’s commitments under the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“The Iranian people are very pessimistic about the European (governments) because of their failure to fulfill their commitments and their compliance with Trump’s sanctions policies…,” he said.

Kharrazi further emphasized that the two-month deadline mentioned in the SNSC’s statement is a good opportunity for Europe to make up for the slow pace of its past measures in making INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges) up and running and prevent the death of the JCPOA.

Iran on Wednesday stopped implementing part of its commitments under the JCPOA in response to Washington’s pullout from the agreement, giving Europe 60 days to adopt practical measures to ensure Iran’s benefits under the deal, otherwise the country would further reduce its commitments.