Iran to Comply with JCPOA Commitments as Long as Europe Does: Zarif


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran would comply with its commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement as long as European signatories to the agreement honor their end of the bargain.

“Iran is committed to the full implementation of the #JCPOA: as long as E3/EU implement THEIR economic commitments. So moving forward, Iran will comply with its commitments under the JCPOA in exactly the same manner as the EU/E3 have—and will—comply with theirs. Fair enough?” Zarif tweeted late on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the diplomatic chiefs of the European Union, France, Germany and Britain said they were “extremely concerned,” and urged Iran to reverse its decision to pass its stockpile of enriched uranium above 300 kilograms limit.

“We urge Iran to reverse this step and to refrain from further measures that undermine the nuclear deal,” said the joint statement signed by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

“We have been consistent and clear that our commitment to the nuclear deal depends on full compliance by Iran,” the joint statement noted.

It added that the group was “urgently considering next steps under the terms” of the 2015 nuclear deal.

On Monday, Zarif announced that the country’s enriched uranium stockpile had passed the 300-kilogram limit.

On May 8, Iran notified its remaining partners in the deal that it would suspend the implementation of some of its commitments as a means of prompting the European side to honor its end of the bargain.

The warning shot saw the country stopping exports of its excess uranium and heavy water for a two-month-long period.

The measure was likewise taken in line with the Islamic Republic’s legal rights under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the nuclear deal, which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The country also cautioned that it would resume refining uranium to a higher fissile degree in 60 days if Europe continued to fail Tehran.