Spokesman: Iran Remaining in N. Deal Just for EU’s Insistence

“Europe insists that the nuclear deal should survive and we have remained in it for their insistence. Therefore, they are required to implement their undertakings and it is a must for the EU,” Qassemi said on Wednesday.

He added that the European public opinion, elites and officials do not want the EU to make its decisions based on the US policies, and said the Iran case is a good opportunity for them to try a new path for further independence.

Qassemi noted that time is passing to the benefit of Iran and to the US detriment, and said the United States’ present course of action that includes abrogation of the nuclear deal and imposing sanctions against Iran will eventually fail. “Mr. Trump will certainly fail and we will witness the US retreat at the end.”

The US Treasury Department announced all sanctions on Iran lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal would be back in force on November 5.

According to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the sweeping sanctions will see 700 people blacklisted, including people who were granted relief under the 2015 deal, as well as over 300 new names.

The Trump administration earlier agreed to allow eight countries to continue purchasing Iran’s crude oil after Washington’s sanctions on Tehran took place.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini underlined on Tuesday that the EU was trying hard to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and said that efforts were underway to implement the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

“The EU Special Purpose Vehicle for bypassing the US sanctions on Iran is still unknown, but the work was being carried out in a positive manner,” Mogherini added.

She reiterated that the involvement of the finance ministers of the E3 (France, Germany, UK) is of key importance at this stage, and said, “They are working hard to finalize it; I cannot tell you a date, but I can tell you that work is continuing and is progressing in a positive manner.”

Her remarks came after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on the Europeans to speed up their measures to provide Tehran with the economic benefits promised after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, warning that his country might not continue compliance with its undertakings if it saw no merits in the agreement.

“The EU and other members who have remained under the nuclear deal know that the status quo may not continue without meeting the Islamic Republic of Iran’s needs and without the economic benefits that the nuclear deal has for the country,” Zarif said.

He added that Tehran had several times announced that it had multiple options and “therefore we choose our options based on national interests and the mechanism specified in the country”.

Zarif’s Deputy Seyed Abbas Araqchi had also earlier described protection of the 2015 nuclear deal as the responsibility of all signatories, saying that the US withdrawal from the internationally-accepted agreement discredited Europe and the UN Security Council.

“The Europeans should know that the EU and the UNSC have been left with no credit after the US pullout of the nuclear deal, and how one can negotiate in the future with those who have put their creditability under question for the interests of an individual, meaning Trump,” Araqchi said, addressing a forum in Tehran on Monday.

He underlined that protection of the nuclear deal is the responsibility of all its members, and said, “Certainly, the current conditions cannot continue unless Europe will be ready to pay the costs and adopt serious measures to protect the nuclear deal.”

Araqchi downplayed the impacts of the US sanctions on Iran, noting that despite some difficulties, they cannot bring the country to its knees and force it to surrender to enemies.