Zarif: Iran Seeking Compensation from US for Breach of JCPOA
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – One of the main topics to be discussed in the next quarterly meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission will be the compensation that Iran should receive even if the new US administration rejoins the 2015 nuclear deal and resumes honoring its commitments, the foreign minister said.
In an interview with Tasnim, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted the country’s push to seek compensation for the US’ withdrawal from the deal.
Asked about the remarks by Iranian officials who have urged US President Joe Biden to return the situation to the pre-Trump era - while the JCPOA had been repeatedly violated even during Obama’s term - Zarif said, “What I must emphasize is that no negotiations will be held on the implementation of the US’ commitments.”
He said the US will be allowed to participate in the JCPOA Joint Commission meetings only after honoring its commitments.
“The (JCPOA) Joint Commission holds meetings every three months at the level of deputy ministers. Talks are held in the meeting, and one of the topics that will definitely be discussed is the issue of compensation. One of the subjects for talks will certainly be on how to carry out (the deal),” Zarif added.
The foreign minister said Iran had sent several letters to the JCPOA Joint Commission during Obama’s tenure about Washington’s failure to honor the nuclear deal, noting that Tehran will proceed with such a method.
“However, we should not forget that the US has never been known as a law-abiding state in the world, not during Trump’s term alone,” Zarif added, saying the US policies have disgraced it in the world.
The JCPOA was signed in 2015 between Iran and six world states —the US, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China— and was ratified in the form of Resolution 2231.
However, the US under former president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled his country out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reinstated the sanctions that had been lifted by the deal.
As the remaining European parties failed to fulfill their end of the bargain and compensate for Washington’s absence, Iran moved in May 2019 to scale back its JCPOA commitments.