Iran: Renegotiation of nuclear deal out of question

“Renegotiation of the JCPOA is out of the question, as Iran, China and Russia have [already] expressed their opposition,” Ali Rabiei, the administration’s spokesman, said at his weekly presser on Tuesday, using the abbreviation for the official title of the Iran deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He reminded the European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – France, Germany and the UK (E3) – that a return to their commitments under the nuclear agreement did not require any dialogue.

The parties, he said, could simply honor the JCPOA without any need for new negotiations in case the incoming administration of US President-elect Joe Biden repealed the policies of its predecessor.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov called on Iran and the E3 to put aside their existing differences, and try to resolve the lingering issues.

“For a long time E-3, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other, refer to Dispute Resolution Mechanism. It is counterproductive. All of us are in one boat. We should focus on how to settle the existing problems and should not create new ones. This applies to all JCPOA participants,” he wrote in a post published on his official Twitter page on Tuesday.

Furthermore, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, voiced support for intensive diplomacy and efforts to facilitate US return to the JCPOA.

“The EU reiterates its strong commitment to and continued support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The JCPOA is a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and achievement of multilateral diplomacy, endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council through resolution 2231,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement added, “We acknowledge the issues arising from the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the agreement and the re-imposition of its sanctions.”

Borrell claimed that the EU “has upheld its JCPOA commitments, including regarding sanctions lifting as foreseen in the Agreement.”

“Despite the severe challenges to the JCPOA, the EU has continued to work hard to preserve it. We take note of the Ministerial statement of JCPOA Participants of 21 December 2020. We express support for the ongoing diplomatic efforts in the framework of the Joint Commission, with the EU High Representative as its coordinator, to ensure full JCPOA implementation,” the EU foreign policy chief noted.

He also welcomed efforts aimed at “facilitating a US return to the JCPOA and Iran’s return to full JCPOA implementation.”

“We welcome President-elect Biden’s positive statements on the JCPOA, and look forward to working with the incoming US Administration,” Borrell highlighted.

The developments come as a senior Israeli official, requesting anonymity, said the Tel Aviv regime intends to derail Biden’s plan to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, according to Bloomberg.

The official highlighted that Israel will start by sending a stream of envoys to Washington, and will take other measures later on. The strategy runs against the Biden team’s willingness to re-enter the JCPOA.

President Donald Trump, a hawkish critic of the groundbreaking 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany, unilaterally withdrew Washington from the agreement in May 2018.

Washington reinstated the sanctions that the JCPOA had lifted, and also pressured others into committing to the bans and stopping their trade with Tehran.

The US unleashed the so-called maximum pressure campaign and targeted the Iranian nation with draconian restrictive measures, but Iran’s economy keeps humming and is getting back on its feet.

During his election campaign, Biden had said that he would rejoin the deal if Iran returned to strict compliance with it.