In a daily briefing on Wednesday, Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the JCPOA, should be fully implemented and all sides have a responsibility to ensure it happens.
The remarks came as Iran revealed on Wednesday countermeasures to US’ withdrawal from the nuclear deal, giving the other remaining parties to the JCPOA a 60-day ultimatum to comply with their commitments, particularly those regarding Iran’s economic interests in the banking and energy sectors, before reducing further commitments to the agreement stage by stage.
Iran says at any given time that its demands are met, it will resume complying with the suspended commitments, which have been made impossible to continue due to the US measures and sanctions, according to FM Zarif.
The decision to reduce commitments to the JCPOA comes as Washington is ramping up pressure against Iran, by re-imposing new sanctions, including restrictions on Iran’s low-level uranium enrichment, and ending the sanctions waivers for Iran’s major oil clients in an attempt to drive the country’s oil exports to zero.
The Trump administration is reportedly expected to announce additional sanctions on Iran within the coming week, targeting new sections of the Iranian economy.
Iran has stressed that it has no intention to leave the JCPOA, and its decision on reducing commitments is still within the framework of the agreement.
