According To Iran News, The foreign ministers of Iran, France, the UK, Germany, Russia, and China – the remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal officially known as the JCPOA – had an unofficial online meeting on Monday, December 21, 2020.

At the conclusion of the talks, the top diplomats released a joint statement, the full text of which follows:

1. A Ministerial Meeting of the E3/EU+2 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the participants of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was held virtually on 21 December 2020. The meeting was chaired by the EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
2. JCPOA participants re-emphasized their commitment to preserve the agreement and stressed their respective efforts in this regard. They discussed that full and effective implementation of the JCPOA by all remains crucial and discussed the need to address ongoing implementation challenges, including on nuclear non-proliferation and sanctions lifting commitments.
3. Ministers underscored the important role of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as the sole impartial and independent international organization mandated by the UN Security Council to monitor and verify the implementation of the nuclear non-proliferation commitments under the JCPOA. They stressed the importance of continued good faith cooperation with the IAEA.
4. Ministers recalled that the JCPOA, as endorsed by UN Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), remains a key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy that contributes to regional and international security. Ministers reiterated their deep regret towards the US withdrawal from the agreement. They stressed that resolution 2231 remains fully in force.
5. Ministers agreed to continue dialogue to ensure full JCPOA implementation by all sides. Ministers acknowledged the prospect of a return of the U.S. to the JCPOA and underlined their readiness to positively address this in a joint effort.

Monday’s virtual meeting of parties to the agreement — the first at the level of foreign ministers in over a year — came as the deal is in what German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called a “downward spiral” caused by a mixture of strong U.S. pressure on Iran and Tehran’s violations of the accord.

The remaining countries that signed the agreement with Iran — Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia — have been trying to keep it from collapsing after the unilateral withdrawal of the United States in 2018.

The three European powers have expressed hope that with the change of administrations in Washington, the U.S. could be brought back into the deal, whose goal is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb — something Tehran insists it doesn’t want to do.

President-elect Joe Biden has said he hopes to return the U.S. to the deal, which was negotiated while he was vice president.

“We are standing at a crossroads today,” Germany’s Maas told reporters in Berlin, adding that the deal’s survival or otherwise will be determined in the coming weeks and months.

The European powers stressed Monday that “just a commitment” to the accord on everyone’s part is not enough, Maas said.

“To make possible a rapprochement under Biden, there must be no more technical maneuvers of the kind we have seen plenty in recent times — they would do nothing but further undermine the agreement,” he added.

“The opportunity that is now being offered — this last window of opportunity — must not be squandered,” Maas said. “We made that very clear today to Iran in particular.”

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – In its latest report, International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wedesday announced that Iran’s economy will grow by 3.2 percent in 2021.

The latest report of the International Monetary Fund on the state of world economy and its future outlook, which was recently published, estimates that Iran’s economic growth in 2021 will hit 3.2 percent. This estimate shows that Iran’s economy has improved 0.1 percent as compared to the Fund’s previous estimate of Iran’s economic growth outlook for next year.

According to IMF, next year’s inflation rate in Iran will reach 30%, which shows a 3% decrease as compared to the Fund’s previous estimate for next year.

IMF also pointed to the unemployment rate in Iran and added, the unemployment rate in Iran, which is predicted at 12.2 percent for this year, has been estimated at 12.4 percent in the next year.

The international body estimates that the world economy will end the current year with a negative growth of 4.4 percent, which is an improvement of about 0.8 percent as compared to its previous report and estimate.

This improvement is due to increased hopes for the recovery of developed economies after the coronavirus global pandemic as well as alleviation of restrictions due to the implementation of health protocols such as social distancing and closure of businesses.

In its another report, the International Monetary Fund estimates that world economic growth will reach 5.2 percent in 2021, indicating a recovery in the global economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

This year, the economies of European countries will also experience negative growth; France and the United Kingdom will face negative growth of 9.8 percent, Italy will experience a negative 10.6 percent growth while Spain’s economy will shrink 12.8 percent.

India will record negative growth of 10.3 percent this year, according to the report.

Among the world’s economies, only China will grow positively this year, with economic growth estimated at 1.9 percent.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – The United Kingdom finally cast off from the European Union on Friday for an uncertain future.

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After failing to deliver Brexit by an Oct. 31 deadline, Johnson called the Dec. 12 election to break what he cast as political paralysis that had thwarted Britain’s departure and sapped confidence in the economy.

The face of the “Leave” campaign in the 2016 referendum, 55-year-old Johnson fought the election under the slogan of “Get Brexit Done”, promising to end the deadlock and spend more on health, education and the police.

His main opponent, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, 70, promised higher public spending, nationalization of key services, taxes on the wealthy and another referendum on Brexit.

All major UK opinion polls suggest Johnson will win, though pollsters got the 2016 referendum wrong and their models predict outcomes ranging from a hung parliament to the biggest Conservative landslide since the era of Margaret Thatcher.

“We could have a Conservative majority government which will get Brexit done and unleash Britain’s potential,” Johnson told campaigners. “This election is our chance to end the gridlock but the result is on a knife-edge.”

Corbyn said the Conservatives were the party of “billionaires” while Labor represented the many.

“You can vote for despair and vote for the dishonesty of this government, or you can vote Labor and get a government that can bring hope to the future,” he said, Reuters reported.

UK polls open at 0700 GMT and close at 2200 GMT when an exit poll will give the first indications of the result. Official results from the bulk of United Kingdom’s 650 different constituencies begin to come in from 2300 GMT to 0500 GMT.

While Brexit framed the United Kingdom’s first December election since 1923, the tortuous exit from the EU has variously fatigued, enthused and enraged voters while eroding loyalties to the two major parties.

A majority would allow Johnson to lead the country out of the club it first joined in 1973, but Brexit would still be far from over. He faces the daunting task of negotiating a trade agreement with the EU in a self-imposed deadline of 11 months.

After Jan. 31, Britain would enter a transition period during which it would negotiate a new relationship with the EU27. He has pledged to do that by the end of 2020.

Sterling markets are pricing in a Johnson win. But a five-year flurry of two historic referendums – on Scottish independence in 2014 and Brexit in 2016 – and two national elections in 2015 and 2017 have delivered often unexpected results that ushered in political crises.

The election pitches two of the most unconventional British politicians of recent years against each other. Both have been repeatedly written off by opponents and both offer starkly different visions for the world’s fifth-largest economy.

Johnson’s pitch is Brexit but he shrank from anything more radical in a heavily choreographed campaign. Corbyn pitched what he calls a radical transformation for a country long wedded to free-market liberalism.

Johnson, the New York-born former mayor of London, won the top job in July. His predecessor, Theresa May, resigned after failing to get parliamentary backing for her Brexit deal with the EU and then losing her party’s majority in a snap election.

Johnson defied critics by striking a new deal with the EU but was unable to navigate the maze of a divided British parliament and was defeated by opponents whom he portrayed as traitors subverting the will of the people.

The United Kingdom voted by 52%-48% in 2016 to quit the EU. But parliament has been deadlocked since May’s failed bet on a 2017 snap election over how, when and even whether to leave.

Corbyn, once an opponent of the EU who now says he would remain neutral if he was a prime minister overseeing another referendum, was repeatedly grilled over his Brexit plans. He pledged to overthrow a “rigged system” he said was run by billionaires and tax dodgers.

Both made missteps during the campaign.

Johnson in one interview refused to look at a picture of a sick four-year-old boy forced to lie on the floor of a hospital and then inexplicably took the phone from a reporter and pocketed it. He later apologized.

Corbyn, a veteran campaigner for Palestinian rights, repeatedly avoided apologizing for what some party members, lawmakers and Jewish leaders say is his failure to tackle anti-Semitism from some elements within the party. He apologized eventually.

Johnson’s strategy was to breach Labor’s so-called “Red Wall” of seats across the Brexit-supporting areas of the Midlands and northern England where he described his political opponents as the out-of-touch enemies of Brexit.

“If I’m honest with you, there’s no choice,” said voter Andrew Davis, from Kent in southern England. “I don’t like any of the main candidates, so I’m struggling.”

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Gibraltar’s government announced this week it was releasing the supertanker despite pressure from the US for the vessel’s continued detainment. The supertanker, laden with 2.1 million barrels of oil, was illegally detained by British Marines off the coasts of Gibraltar on 4 July. Iran had condemned UK’s measure as ‘piracy’.

Kharrazi, in his remarks, noted that “we can only confront enemies’ bullying behavior through our resistance.”

He went on to say that Iran will continue its resistance approach as far as the country’s problems are solved.

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Pointing to Britain and US’ organizing of a coup on August 19, 1953 which overthrew Mosaddegh’s legitimate government, Larijani said that today’s power of Iran cannot be compared to the past and that enemies had no other choice but to withdraw from their act of piracy.

UK forces illegally seized The Grace 1 supertanker, laden with 2.1m barrels of oil, on July 4 off the coasts of Gibraltar. Despite all pressures from the United States which seeks to drive Iran’s oil sales to zero, a court in Gibraltar announced this week it was releasing the supertanker.

“America, which then organized the coup with the help of its allies, is shooting its last broken arrows today with utmost frustration,” added Larijani.

Imposing sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister and other officials of the country is ‘shameful’ for a country which claims to be a superpower, said Larijani, adding, “if you think that these measures can show your power, you should know that all the Iranian nation is standing tall against you. Put sanction on all to understand that nothing will happen.”

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Tehran later impounded a British-flagged ship, Stena Impero, in the Strait of Hormuz for failing to stop after hitting an Iranian fishing boat, a violation of international maritime rules.

Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, Iranian ambassador to London, Hamid Baeidinejad, said “Of course one issue can help resolution of another issue but these are two separate issues that need to be tackled separately.”

He also said, “We’re very keen to see the UK is doing all the measures necessary to release as soon as possible the Grace 1.”

Explaining the reason behind the seizure of Stena Impero, Baeidinejad said “That ship collided with a fishing boat in the area…the fishing boat was damaged and there have been injuries.”

He also said Stena Impero had “entered the Strait of Hormuz from the exit lane, which is against the law.”

“We have tension in the region because of the US policies – that ship should have been very careful not to violate any laws.”

Baeidinejad then stressed that contrary to the UK’s claims, Grace 1 was not heading for Syria.

“It’s very clear, we have announced it’s not going to a sanction entity…we’re not entitled to say what is the destination of the ship.”

The Iranian ambassador had said in a tweet on Monday that it would be “Impossible to advance a quid pro quo or barter exchange of detained UK and Iranian ships”, adding “UK has illegally detained the ship carrying Iranian oil while the British ship is detained for violating some key safety/security regulations in Hormuz Strait.”

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He was referring to the detention of a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, which is said to have been in breach of international regulations, and even a threat to the environment in the event of a collision with other vessels in the region with its transponder switched off.

His tweet was also in reaction to certain speculations that the UK was reportedly considering imposing sanctions on Iran in response to the tanker seizure.

“This is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region,” said Baeidinjad, adding, “Iran however is firm and ready for different scenarios.”

Meanwhile, during a phone conversation between Iranian and British foreign ministers on Saturday, Iran’s Zarif reiterated that unlike the UK’s unlawful seizure of the vessel carrying Iran’s oil, the Islamic Republic’s move was carried out upon the request of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran given the vessel’s violation of regulations.

Zarif noted that the case must be pursued through judicial and legal channels.

Zarif and Hunt also highlighted the importance of finding lawful solutions and avoiding heightened tensions.

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“This action is the continuation of the English’s animosity against the Iranian nation both before and after the Revolution. This measure will not be left unanswered,” he added.

He went on to urge Iranian Foreign Ministry to plan a counteraction, highlighting, “England will pay huge costs for its action.”

London is following Washington’s policies on Iran but despite all pressures, the Iranian economy is growing, he said, adding, “Iran’s official oil export may arrive at a zero level but Iran’s unofficial oil export will replace it according to agreements signed with some countries. If revenues from this unofficial oil sales decreases, there are alternative approaches planned in the budget which will be taken.”

Gibraltar police and customs agencies, aided by a detachment of British Royal Marines, boarded and impounded supertanker Grace 1, carrying Iranian oil, in the Strait of Gibraltar on Thursday, upon a request from the United States.

Later that day, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Britain’s ambassador to the country, Rob Macaire, to express its strong protest at the move. He was told that the British Royal Marines’ move was tantamount to “maritime piracy.”

London claims that the tanker had been carrying Iranian oil to Syria, which is under European Union’s sanctions but Iran says first, the tanker was not headed to Syria, and second, Iran is not a member an EU member and also not subject to any European oil embargo. Tehran has called for an immediate release of the oil tanker warning that the responsibility for consequences of this provocative acts falls on London. “I warn England that you are the initiator of insecurity in seas and you will later understand its repercussions,” President Rouhani said Wednesday.

Iran says US is behind the measure which tries to bring down Iranian oil sales to zero as part of its maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic. Iranian officials reiterate that this policy will not yield any result for Washington as Iranians are well familiar with the culture of resistance.

In the latest development, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted on Saturday that he had “spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif. Constructive call. I reassured him our concern was destination not origin of the oil on Grace One & that UK would facilitate release if we received guarantees that it would not be going to Syria, following due process in Gib courts.”

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