US needs to swiftly lift Iran sanctions, return to JCPOA compliance: China

China says the United States should immediately lift the sanctions it has re-imposed on Iran after Washington’s violation of a multilateral nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic and unilaterally leaving the deal.

Beijing made the call hours after the United States adopted a number of symbolic gestures with regard to the nuclear agreement but stopped short of removing the bans against Iran. 

In recent weeks, Tehran and Washington have been at loggerheads over which side should first return to compliance with the nuclear deal – officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which former US President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.

Iran says the US should first lift all the sanctions put in place under the Trump administration before the Islamic Republic returns to full compliance. Tehran believes it was the White House that complicated the circumstances by the pullout, which in turn prompted Iran to take remedial measures.

A year after the withdrawal, the Islamic Republic began a set of countermeasures that saw it gradually suspending its commitment to the JCPOA.

Since then, Tehran has consistently reassured the international community that it will return to full compliance as soon as other parties begin to honor their commitments.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry posted a message on Twitter in that regard on Friday. 

“The #US needs to return to the JCPOA unconditionally ASAP and lift all sanctions on #Iran,” the post read. It also urged Iran to consequently “resume full compliance with” the nuclear accord.

The #US rejoining the #JCPOA is the only correct approach to resolve the impasse on the Iranian nuclear issue. All parties should work together to implement agreements reached at last December's foreign ministers' meeting.

— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) February 19, 2021

“We call on all sides to remain calm, avoid escalating tension and leave room for diplomatic efforts.”

The ministry emphasized that the US return to the JCPOA would be the “only correct approach to resolve the impasse on the Iranian nuclear issue.”

It urged all the JCPOA parties to work for the implementation of agreements reached during a ministerial meeting of the E3/EU+2, France, Germany, Britain, China, Russia plus Iran, in December.

In that meeting, chaired by the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Joseph Borrell, the remaining member states to the nuclear deal reiterated commitment to preserving the agreement.

All JCPOA parties must preserve deal, fully implement commitments: Joint statement

The remaining member states to the JCPOA say the deal should be preserved and all parties should fulfill their commitments.

Sanctions hampered implementation of JCPOA: Russia

Russia, meanwhile, on Friday welcomed the announcements made by the administration of US President Joe Biden to reverse some of his predecessor's anti-Iran measures.

"Sanctions pressure did not help the implementation of the agreement and brought the situation to a dead-end," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He added that it was a "good thing" that the US does not call for international sanctions on Iran anymore, but emphasized that ultimately more work was needed.

"It is the restoration of the JCPOA regime that is important."

Biden admin. reverses two Trump-era measures against Iran, offers to re-join JCPOA talks

The administration of US President Joe Biden has reversed two measures adopted by his predecessor Donald Trump against Iran and offered to rejoin negotiations with the Islamic Republic and other parties to a nuclear agreement Washington left over two years ago.

The Biden administration on Thursday reversed two measures adopted by Trump against Iran and offered talks with Iran led by European allies.

US acknowledged Pompeo's claims re Res. 2231 had no legal validity.

We agree.

In compliance w/ 2231:

US unconditionally & effectively lift all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled by Trump.

We will then immediately reverse all remedial measures.

Simple: #CommitActMeet

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 19, 2021

In reaction to the offer, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday urged the Biden administration to “unconditionally and effectively lift all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled by Trump.”

EU trying to convene informal meeting on JCPOA with US sanctions lifting on agenda: Spokesman

In a related development, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Friday that the European Union was holding intense consultation on holding an informal meeting on the JCPOA with the potential lifting of the US sanctions on the agenda.

“The [EU] head negotiation for Iran has indicated that we would [be] available and prepared to convene an informal meeting. Intense discussions are underway with all of the participants, including the US, of course, so, we are ready, and the high representative (Josep Borrell) is working on this and has invited various parties, including the US, to have an informal discussion to try moving forward,” Stano said at a briefing.

He, however, added that no date had yet been set for such a meeting.

Stano also expressed a positive attitude toward “conditions to advance all the diplomatic efforts.”

Germany resolute on JCPOA preservation: Merkel

Addressing a press conference following the virtual meeting of the G7 summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to work actively with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to preserve the JCPOA.

"I will at least be engaged in giving new impetus to the negotiations. I spoke with Iranian President [Hassan] Rouhani recently, we must be careful to ensure that no problems arise from the question of who will take the first step,” she said.

Rouhani tells Merkel: Adding anything to nuclear deal ‘impossible’

President Hassan Rouhani has rejected the possibility of adding anything to the already negotiated nuclear agreement.

She stressed the importance of finding ways to restore the full effect of the multilateral deal if it requires to be given a “new chance”.

It is necessary to agree on a sequence of steps to fully restore the JCPOA, the chancellor pointed out.

"This is an act of diplomatic balancing, an act of effort. But on the German side, I and the foreign minister will equally work on this," Merkel added.

IAEA seeks ‘agreeable solution’ to nuclear issue: Grossi

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said during his Saturday visit to Tehran that he would discuss a “mutually agreeable solution” to the nuclear issue with Iranian officials.

It would be in conformity with a law recently approved by Iran’s Parliament, he said.

In a tweet on Friday, Grossi said in that case, the IAEA inspectors would be able to “continue essential verification activities in Iran.”

“Looking forward to success – this is in everybody’s interest.”

Read more: 

• Zarif denounces US, allies for throwing ball into Iran’s court as JCPOA revival hangs in balance

• EU must play role against US unilateralism: Rouhani to European Council chief

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