Iran to Start 2nd Phase of JCPOA-Related Measures on July 7: Zarif
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on Friday that the country plans to begin the second phase of measures to reduce its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on July 7.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in the central city of Isfahan on Friday, Zarif pointed to Iran’s measures regarding the JCPOA and said in President Hassan Rouhani’s letter to the leaders of the JCPOA parties and in his letter to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Iran has announced two phases of measures.
The first phase started on May 8 and the second phase will begin on July 7, the Iranian top diplomat added.
On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA, a 159-page nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) came into force in January 2016.
Following the US withdrawal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
However, the EU’s failure to ensure Iran’s economic interests forced Tehran to stop honoring certain commitments under JCPOA on May 8, 2019.
Iran has also set a 60-day deadline for the remaining JCPOA parties to fulfill their undertakings.
In a meeting with Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmid on Saturday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reminded the EU parties that the two-month deadline will by no means be extended.
For the first step in halting certain commitments under the JCPOA, Iran has ceased to observe the limits on uranium enrichment and begun to produce an unlimited amount of heavy water at the Arak nuclear facility during the 60-day deadline.