New US Sanctions against Iran Violate Geneva Deal: Senior MP

Head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Borujerdi told the Tasnim News Agency that by imposing new sanctions against Iran, the United States violated the Geneva deal and once again proved to be untrustworthy.

Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) on November 24, 2013, signed an interim nuclear deal in the Swiss city of Geneva.

Based on the interim deal, the world powers agreed to suspend some non-essential sanctions and to impose no new nuclear-related bans in return for Tehran's decision to freeze parts of its nuclear activities.

The breakthrough agreement (the Joint Plan of Action), which came into effect on January 20, had given the parties extendable six months to draw up a comprehensive nuclear deal.

Back in July, after more than two weeks of intensive diplomatic negotiations in Vienna, Iran and the six nations agreed to continue talks for another four months.

The two sides decided to extend the nuclear talks until November 24, 2014 in the hope of clinching a final deal. 

Borujerdi said Iran has proven its commitment to building trust in line with the Geneva Agreement but the West, especially the US, have continued threatening and imposing sanctions on Iran, which is against the spirit of the Geneva deal.

He reiterated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s resolve to continue peaceful use of nuclear energy and said threats and embargos have failed to impede Iran’s development of peaceful nuclear technology.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.