Iran Raps UK-Israeli Article as Sign of Obstruction of JCPOA


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Iranian spokesman decried a joint article from the foreign ministers of the UK and the Zionist regime as an indication that certain Europeans are not serious about the termination of sanctions in the Vienna talks and oppose the effective implementation of the JCPOA.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh deplored the joint article that the UK's Liz Truss and her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid have written in the Telegraph newspaper about their efforts to prevent Iran from becoming “a nuclear power”.

He lashed out at the UK foreign secretary for her negotiations on the eve of the new round of the Vienna talks with the Zionist regime, which he said has made every effort since the first day to block the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and destroy the deal, has been an element of the previous US administration’s move to withdraw from the JCPOA, and is now a main party opposing the Vienna talks and the revival of the JCPOA.

A review of such measures indicates that certain European states are not attending the Vienna talks with the necessary resolve to lift the sanctions on Iran, Khatibzadeh added.

“This (the joint article) reveals that some of these countries not only are not serious, but also look for grounds to prolong the negotiations and prevent the implementation of the JCPOA in an effective manner,” the Iranian spokesman added.

His comments came after Truss and Lapid said in the joint article in the Telegraph, “The clock is ticking, which heightens the need for close cooperation with our partners and friends to thwart Tehran's ambitions.”

Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA has gathered in Vienna to begin a new round of talks to save the 2015 nuclear deal.