Iran diplomat: JCPOA won’t survive unless Iran enjoys sanctions removal benefits

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says the only practical way to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is for Tehran to reap the full benefits of the agreement arising from sanctions-lifting.

“The only basic solution to safeguard the JCPOA (the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is for Iran to enjoy the benefits of the agreement with respect to the sanctions-lifting, which will materialize only through the adoption of practical and tangible measures by the JCPOA signatories,” Araqchi said on Wednesday.

He described as “constructive” the recent meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission and praised the consensus of the remaining JCPOA signatories on the need to take a united action against the US’ reneging on its obligations stipulated in the historic accord.   

The meeting was held under specific conditions amid the developments at the UN Security Council regarding the JCPOA and the US’ illegal and unjustifiable moves to extend an arms embargo against Tehran and to snap back international sanctions against Iran, the Iranian diplomat said.

Therefore, the agenda of the JCPOA Joint Commission focused on the need for solidarity and coherence against the US move, he added.  

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Araqchi said that the JCPOA Joint Commission members “were unanimous in their belief that the US has ceased its participation in the JCPOA since May 8, 2018 and is no more considered a party to the agreement, and therefore cannot use the rights enshrined in the JCPOA, including those that would reinstate sanctions.”  

The meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission was co-chaired by Araqchi and European External Action Service Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday.

JCPOA Joint Commission: All parties determined to preserve Iran deal despite US pressure

The remaining signatories to the JCPOA say they will do everything possible to preserve the landmark accord amid US efforts to restore UN sanctions against Iran.

In a post on her Twitter account at the end of the talks, Schmid wrote that it was “important” that the participants — Iran, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China — were “united in resolve to preserve” the nuclear deal.

She added that the parties were also determined to “find a way to ensure full implementation of the agreement despite current challenges.”

Since its withdrawal from the JCPOA, the US has been resorting to its so-called maximum pressure policy, threatening them to end their business with the Islamic Republic or face punishment.

As part of its maximum pressure policy, Washington has been trying to invoke the snapback mechanism in the JCPOA to reinstate international sanctions against Tehran irrespective of the fact that it has forfeited its right to use the privilege as it is no more a party to the agreement.  

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday dismissed the US push to trigger the mechanism.

Rouhani: US making ‘ridiculous, childish’ efforts to trigger sanctions snapback on Iran

The Iranian president dismisses the US push to use the so-called snapback mechanism to bring back international sanctions against Tehran.

“I don’t think that anyone who is cognizant of the ABC of law and politics and accepts the ABC of interaction does not realize this that if one completely left an agreement he cannot return to it after two or three years and claim that I want to use this privilege. All understand this even a child,” he said during a cabinet meeting.

Rouhani noted the US claim that it can use the sanctions snapback mechanism against Iran has domestic consumption and is part of a propaganda campaign ahead of the November presidential election in the country.

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