JCPOA parties are losing hope to save the deal

Tabnak – Despite failing to abide by their commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, the European parties of the deal threaten to withdraw from it, if Iran continues to reduce its own commitments. Meanwhile, Russia says the current course would lead to the total collapse of the deal.

According to a Press TV report, European leaders have threatened to start withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal in November if Tehran does not return to full compliance.

US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018, and has since reinstated old sanctions and imposed new ones on Tehran in the hope of crippling its economy and forcing it into falling in line.

Since then, Europe says it has strived to preserve the deal, setting up a financial mechanism called INSTEX to help Iran circumvent US sanctions. But in reality not much has been achieved. Trade with Iran has not surged via INSTEX, and Europe has not stood up to the US over its illegal sanctions and unceremonious withdrawal from the historic deal. And yet Iran is the signatory being asked to cooperate.

Meanwhile, a senior Russian diplomat says the 2015 nuclear agreement Iran clinched with major world powers could be completely destroyed in foreseeable future, stressing the importance of finding a solution to solve the existing situation.

"It is necessary to somehow find a way out of the situation since there is quite a real prospect of full destruction of the deal in foreseeable future," Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said at a Moscow-Vienna video conference on Friday on the results of the 63rd General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He added that Iran is most likely to take the fourth step in scaling back its commitments under the nuclear accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in November.

"It will proceed like this until the moment Iran gets what it wants, in other words, the restoration of the balance within the framework of the nuclear deal between nuclear and economic commitments. This balance is now totally upset as a result of obstructionist policies by the overseas partners," the Russian diplomat said.

He added that Moscow reacted to Iran's measures to reduce its commitments "without enthusiasm, but with understanding" and noted that Tehran continued to patiently and completely complied with everything for a whole year as verified by the IAEA following the United States’ pullout from the nuclear deal.

Iran has so far rowed back on its nuclear commitments three times in compliance with articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA.

As a third and final step in its reduction of commitments, Iran activated 20 IR-4 and 20 IR-6 centrifuges for research and development purposes after the Europeans failed to work within a 60-day deadline to meet Iran’s demands and fulfill their commitments under the multilateral deal.