Iran: N. Deal Might End Any Moment

 Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi said that the nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers might die any moment now, warning that the US efforts to ruin an international treaty has damaged Tehran’s trust in any international agreement.

Speaking during a visit to Turkey for Iran-Turkey political consultations, Araqchi said on Tuesday that Tehran’s patience with the US is wearing thin.

“Iran has given enough chances to diplomacy, but enough is enough,” Araqchi who was the second lead negotiator during the nuclear talks with the world powers said, and warned, “Unfortunately, the JCPOA has come very very close to its end.”

He said his country would definitely take action against the US campaign of intensifying pressures on Iran that also includes efforts to zero down the country’s crude sales.

He said the nuclear deal of the 2015, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is a security deal involving the entire world, and lamented that “the US financial system has cast a shadow on everyone”.

The diplomat reiterated that the agreement was clinched between Iran and 5+1 Group of countries (Russia, China, France, the US, the UK, and Germany), but in principal it is an accord belonging to the global community.

Reiterating that the JCPOA is the sole diplomatic success of the region, Araqchi said that US exit from the deal reduced Iran’s trust in the international deals, as the US is seeking to destroy the only regional diplomatic achievement.

Back in December, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi once again warned that his country enjoys the capability to restore 20-percent uranium enrichment if the nuclear deal is discarded by parties still remaining under the agreement.

Salehi said that under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran accepted to put confidence-building curbs on its nuclear program, but they do not obstruct the “peaceful activities of Iran’s nuclear industry”.

“Enrichment is currently underway, but we would put aside the 300kg limit (set by the nuclear agreement) whenever we wish, and would do the enrichment at any volume and level,” he said in an interview with state TV on the sidelines of a visit to the Fordo nuclear facility.

“We currently have 1,044 centrifuges in Fordo, and if the establishment wants, we will restart 20-percent uranium enrichment in Fordo,” he noted.

Europeans’ honesty in dealing with the Iran nuclear deal is seriously doubted by Iranian masses that are discontent with talks with European counterparts.

In contrast with what European politicians and government are stating, many experts in Iran are suspicious of Europe’s genuine commitment to the letters of the nuclear agreement of July 14, 2015, and are voicing their discontent with what they describe as Europe’s strategy of killing time.

Even some commentators like Seyed Mostafa Khoshchashm are calling the Iranian government to start meaningful modifications in JCPOA undertakings, and specially remove the cap on the country’s enriched uranium stockpile after the US unilateral withdrawal from the agreement; a call which is gaining momentum among the Iranians.