US withdarwal Archives - Iran News Daily

Borrell: US Can’t Initiate UN Sanctions

reporter 1222 — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 10:21:49 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Chief Josep Borrell, who is the coordinator of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, known as the JCPOA, one more time stressed that the US is not a JCPOA participant state and can’t initiate the process of reinstating the UN sanctions.

“As recalled in my statement of 20 August, as well as in the Chair’s statement following the JCPOA Joint Commission on 1 September 2020, the US unilaterally ceased participation in the JCPOA by presidential Memorandum on 8 May 2018 and has subsequently not participated in any JCPOA-related activities. US can’t, therefore, be considered to be a JCPOA participant State and cannot initiate the process of reinstating UN sanctions under the UN Security Council resolution 2231. Consequently, sanctions lifting commitments under the JCPOA continue to apply,” Borrell said in a statement on Sunday.

He added, “As coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission I will continue to do everything possible to ensure the preservation and full implementation of the JCPOA by all. The JCPOA remains a key pillar of the global non-proliferation architecture, contributing to regional and global security as it addresses Iran’s nuclear program in a comprehensive manner. I call on all to do their utmost to preserve the agreement and to refrain from any action that could be perceived as an escalation in the current situation”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that he triggered a 30-day process at the council leading to the return of UN sanctions on Iran on Saturday evening that would also stop a conventional arms embargo on Tehran from expiring on Oct. 18.

But 13 of the 15 Security Council members say Washington’s move is void because Pompeo used a mechanism agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which the United States quit in 2018.

Washington argues it triggered the return of sanctions – known as “snapback” – because a UN resolution that enshrines the pact still names it as a participant. Diplomats say few countries are likely to reimpose the measures lifted under the 2015 deal.

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Parliament to Discuss US Plan for JCPOA

reporter 1222 — Sat, 02 May 2020 10:16:51 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The US’ new plan regarding the 2015 nuclear deal will be mooted at an upcoming meeting of the Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, an MP said, stressing that Washington’s return to the JCPOA must be conditional on full compliance with the accord.

Speaking to Tasnim on Saturday, chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in Parliament said the lawmakers are going to discuss a possible return of the US to the JCPOA at a meeting this week.

Mojtaba Zolnoori made it clear that the US will have to fully honor the JCPOA if it intends to return to the agreement, stressing that all of the sanctions that the US has imposed on Iran must be lifted and Washington has to accept the fact that the UN-imposed arms embargo on Iran will be lifted in October.

“The Islamic Republic will agree on the return of the US to the JCPOA when the White House and the Europeans carry out the contents of this international agreement,” he underlined.

Zolnoori also pointed to several options Iran has on the table to scrap the JCPOA in case the Western parties move to resort to the snapback mechanism, saying Tehran may decide to stop implementing the Additional Protocol, review the process of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, or even withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

“Iran has never been eager to pull out of the NPT unless it has no choice.”

His comments came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he is preparing a legal argument that the US would remain a participant in the JCPOA –already renounced by the US president- as part of an intricate strategy to pressure the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Tehran.

According to Pompeo’s plan, bound to be opposed by many of Washington’s European allies, the US would, in essence, claim it legally remains a “participant state” in the nuclear accord only for the purposes of invoking a “snapback” that would restore the UN sanctions on Iran that were in place before the nuclear deal.

Russia has already told American and European officials it is eager to resume conventional arms sales to Iran.

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Iran Blames European Signatories for Lack of Courage

reporter 1222 — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 11:18:39 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif censured the three European signatories to the nuclear deal – France, Germany, and the UK – for lacking courage to confront the US intimidation and unilateral policies, reminding the trio that the only way to solve problems is to act independently from Washington’s diktats.

“For 20 months, the E3-following UK appeasement policy-has bowed to US diktat. That hasn’t gotten it anywhere-and it never will,” Zarif said in a Monday tweet, urging the trio to “muster the courage” to fulfill their obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

He pointed to the failure of European signatories to save the Iran nuclear deal following the US’ withdrawal last year, and said: “the E3 can save the JCPOA but not by appeasing the bully and pressuring the complying party”.

“Rather it should muster the courage to fulfill its own obligations,” Zarif said.

His comments came after the leaders of Britain, France and Germany called in a joint statement on Iran to return to full compliance with their 2015 nuclear deal and reverse its countermeasures against the West’s failures vis-a-vis Tehran.

“It is essential that Iran return to full compliance with its commitments under the agreement,” French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday.

The Europeans’ call on Iran to fully comply with the nuclear deal stands in contrast to their failure to protect the Islamic Republic from unilateral US sanctions on Tehran after Washington abandoned the accord.

Tehran has particularly been disappointed with the European trio’s failure to protect its business interests under the deal after the United States’ withdrawal.

After patiently watching for more than a year and seeing no clear action from the other signatories of the nuclear deal, Iran invoked Articles 26 and 36 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to let go of some of the limitations put on its nuclear work.

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