Zarif urges E3 to stop 20 months of bowing to US diktat

“For 20 months, the E3-following UK appeasement policy-has bowed to US diktat. That hasn’t gotten it anywhere-and it never will,” Zarif said in a Monday tweet.

He pointed to Europe’s failure to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) following the US’ withdrawal last year, and said “the E3 can save JCPOA but not by appeasing the bully and pressuring the complying party.”

“Rather it should muster the courage to fulfill its own obligations,” Zarif said.

For 20 months, the E3-following UK appeasement policy-has bowed to US diktat.

That hasn’t gotten it anywhere-and it never will.

E3 can save JCPOA but not by appeasing the bully & pressuring the complying party

Rather it should muster the courage to fulfill its own obligations.— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 13, 2020

His comments came after the leaders of Britain, France and Germany called in a joint statement on Iran to return to full compliance with their 2015 nuclear deal and reverse its countermeasures against the West’s failures vis-a-vis Tehran.

“It is essential that Iran return to full compliance with its commitments under the agreement,” French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday. 

The Europeans’ call on Iran to fully comply with the nuclear deal stands in contrast to their failure to protect the Islamic Republic from unilateral US sanctions on Tehran after Washington abandoned the accord.  

Europe accuses Iran of ‘violent action’, urges return to obligationsFrance, Germany and the UK urge Iran to return to its commitments under the nuclear deal and to reverse the countermeasures it has adopted.

Tehran has particularly been disappointed with the European trio’s failure to protect its business interests under the deal after the United States’ withdrawal.

After patiently watching for more than a year and seeing no clear action from the other signatories of the nuclear deal, Iran invoked Articles 26 and 36 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to let go of some of the limitations put on its nuclear work.  

On Monday, the Iranian foreign minister also posted another tweet in criticism of the United Kingdom and its appeasement to the United States.
“UK is parroting US line and blindly abetting its terrorist adventurism in our region,” Zarif tweeted.

“The last time UK was dragged along to infamy by the US was in Iraq war. How did that work out?”

Diplomatic malpractice?

UK is parroting US line & blindly abetting its terrorist adventurism in our region

The last time UK was dragged along to infamy by the US was in Iraq war. How did that work out?

Take the honorable path for a change: settle court-ordered debt to Iranians— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 13, 2020

He further urged the United Kingdom to “take the honorable path for change” and settle its debt to Iranians as per a UK court order.

Zarif made the comments shortly after the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a strongly-worded statement condemning wrong and unwarranted positions taken and remarks made by British officials after the US assassinated Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, and his companions in Baghdad.

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The statement, issued on Monday, “strongly condemned” endorsement of the assassination of Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and the deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, by terrorist US forces, saying that it proved cooperation of the British regime in the terrorist measure taken by the US.