Iran’s FM Warns against US Violation of JCPOA
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday said the White House should stop any possible move by the US Congress in violation of the text of a nuclear agreement Tehran and world powers concluded on July 14.
“From the very beginning, we declared that we consider the US government responsible for the implementation of the JCPOA,” Zarif said in a joint press conference with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira in Tehran.
“In our view, any move by the (US) Congress that is against the JCPOA should be stopped by the US government, otherwise it would be a violation of the JCPOA,” he added.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14 reached a conclusion on a lasting nuclear agreement that would terminate all sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear energy program after coming into force.
The 159-page deal has its opponents and proponents both in Iran and the other countries that are parties to the JCPOA, particularly the US.
Zarif further referred to certain moves by the US congress to undermine the nuclear deal, saying such moves will not remove the US government’s responsibility on the implementation of the JCPOA.
“The current and next US governments are obliged to implement the JCPOA if takes effect, and any excuse … would be a violation of the JCPOA, and no excuse can justify it,” the Iranian minister stressed.
Zarif’s comments came as Republicans in the US Congress opposing the Iran nuclear agreement are not giving up despite losing to Democrats this week. They are plotting additional attacks to undercut the deal.
According to a Washington-based newspaper, The Hill, Republicans in both the US Senate and House of Representatives are now conspiring to launch new attacks to either undermine the accord or force Democrats to cast the same vote all over again.
Members of Congress who object to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are already proposing that Congress pass new sanctions tied to Iran’s alleged support for terrorism.
On Saturday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani warned that Iran would react if the US Congress decides to impose new sanctions against the country.
