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EU yet to deliver package of proposals to save JCPOA: Iran

Iran has dismissed media reports about having received a package of proposals from the European Union to save a multilateral nuclear agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries from which the US has withdrawn, saying the Europeans are holding their final discussions in this regard.

Some media outlets have quoted European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini as saying that the EU has ratified a package to support the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with 28 affirmative votes and has submitted it to Iranian officials.

“Up until now, the European Union’s package of proposals has not been delivered to the Iranian side and the European Union countries are holding their final consultations to present their proposals,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Saturday.

“Definitely, after receiving this package of proposals, the issue will be announced and assessment of its content will begin,” he added.

US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, which was reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China – plus Germany in 2015.

Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose “the highest level” of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

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

Since the US president pulled Washington out of the historic nuclear deal, European countries have been scrambling to ensure that Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal.

The remaining parties have vowed to stay in the accord.

 

The Iranian spokesperson said the Islamic Republic would carefully study the EU package and would make a decision on whether to remain in it or leave it “based on national interests.”

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on June 23 that the Islamic Republic expected the EU to put forward by the end of June its package of proposals to save the JCPOA.

‘Iran expects Europe’s proposals in week’s time’

A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says Tehran expects the EU to put forward by end of June its package of proposals to save the JCPOA.

He added that the three European signatories of the nuclear agreement and the EU had promised to offer a package of practical steps that would fulfill Iran’s demands, including on oil sales, payments for its oil and transportation.

Araqchi’s remarks came a day after Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said that the Middle East and the entire world would face a “dreadful” future if the key nuclear agreement fell apart.

‘Dreadful’ future awaits world if JCPOA collapses: Iran

Iran’s nuclear chief says the entire world will face a dreadful future if the JCPOA falls apart.

“If the European Union and other countries supporting the JCPOA do not demonstrate their practical opposition to the US policies in due time, they will face a dreadful future and unprecedented insecurity in the region and the world because of the JCPOA’s collapse,” the AEOI chief said.

Later on June 24, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US was determined to destroy the key 2015 nuclear agreement and added that the US was the dominant economic power in the world and its strategic objective was to force Iran to exit the JCPOA.

US resolved to destroy nuclear deal: Zarif

The Iranian foreign minister says the US spares no efforts to destroy the JCPOA.

“Of course, this does not mean that we will never walk away from the JCPOA under any circumstances, but we know the opposite side’s goal,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

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