EU, Norway, Japan Back JCPOA Survival
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Top diplomats from the European Union, Norway and Japan in talks with Iran’s foreign minister voiced support for efforts to save the 2015 nuclear deal following the US withdrawal, as Tehran reiterated the need for guarantees if it is to remain in the deal.
In separate telephone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini, Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, and Japan’s top diplomat Taro Kono expressed support for the continued implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.
They also stressed that Iran should be able to reap the benefits of the 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which the US administration withdrew last Tuesday.
The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, emphasized the necessity for guarantees that the Iranian nation will gain benefits of the nuclear accord.
In a speech from the White House on May 8, US President Donald Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord.
Following the controversial decision, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran weighs plans to remain in the agreement with the other five parties, namely Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, provided that the remaining JCPOA parties ensure its full benefits for Iran.
In a speech on Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei urged that any decision to keep the deal running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the three European parties to the JCPOA.
