Iran will not stand by for Europe to fulfill JCPOA commitments: FM Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran will not stand by for Europeans to fulfill their commitments under a multilateral nuclear agreement signed between Iran and six major world powers in 2015, following the United States’ move to pull out from the deal.

“The Europeans are acting slowly in the fulfillment of their commitments under the nuclear agreement (officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the JCPOA),” Zarif said in an interview with Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network on Monday, adding, “We will not wait around for them unless they adopt practical steps.”

The top Iranian diplomat emphasized that the Islamic Republic has many option to deal with the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and would consider them based on its national interests.

US President Donald Trump withdrew his country in May from the landmark Iran nuclear deal and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.

Under the deal, reached between Iran and six major powers — the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China — Tehran agreed to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.

The US administration hoped to get the other parties to the deal with Iran to likewise scrap the deal, but instead, they stressed that not only would they stick to the agreement, but they would also work to sustain it in the face of increased US pressure.

Iran and the 28-nation European Union have been discussing various ways to continue doing business with Iran and bypass US sanctions.

On September 24, Iran and its five partners released a joint statement announcing the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to facilitate continued trade with Iran, bypass the US financial system, and avoid any impact of America’s secondary sanctions.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in December 10 that the bloc will establish a mechanism to facilitate non-dollar transactions with Iran in the near future in an attempt to circumvent sanctions imposed by the United States against Tehran.

“I will expect this instrument to be established in the coming weeks before the end of the year as a way to protect and promote legitimate business,” Mogherini told reporters in Brussels.