One year on, Europe still passive in face of US’s JCPOA withdrawal
7 May 2019 05:09
Islam Times - Almost a year has passed since the United States withdrew from a landmark multilateral nuclear deal with Iran and reinstated unilateral sanctions against the country. During this time, the Islamic Republic has been chastising European countries for their inaction in the face of Washington's measures, noting that what European partners to the deal have done so far to offset the impact of the sanctions has been far less than sufficient.
On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the country from the nuclear deal, which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal…. This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made," he said.
Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.
Trump's announcement came despite massive efforts by the European allies of the US to convince him to stay in the deal, which was reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries comprising the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the US, France, Britain, Russia and China, plus Germany.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani reacted to the White House announcement, highlighting the fact that Tehran had remained committed to its obligations under the deal, whereas the United States had never kept its part of the agreement.
While stressing that Trump's decision was a historical experience for Iran, Rouhani noted that the US president has a history of undermining international treaties. Rouhani also noted that Iran would remain in the nuclear deal without the US' presence.
Rouhani added that he has ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to be prepared for resuming nuclear enrichment at the industrial level.
In a post on his official Twitter account, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also responded to Trump's move, referring to it as "unlawful", while adding that the outcome of further diplomatic efforts will determine Iran's response.
Head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Kamal Kharrazi warned that Europe would risk its security by allowing the landmark international deal with Iran to unravel.
If European signatories to the JCPOA, drop their struggle to save the agreement in the face of US pressure, they would have to accept more US bullying in the future, Kharrazi said, adding, "A defeat of the JCPOA would undermine Europe’s security.”
The European Union, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have expressed regret over Trump's decision about the deal with the European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini saying that the bloc is "determined to preserve" the Iran nuclear deal.
Speaking shortly after the US president's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, Mogherini said, "As long as Iran continues to implement its nuclear related commitments, as it is doing so far, the European Union will remain committed to the continued full and effective implementation of the nuclear deal."
France, Germany and Britain also released a joint statement in which they announced their commitment to implementing the deal despite Trump's decision to pull out and his threat of sanctions.
"Our governments remain committed to ensuring the agreement is upheld, and will work with all the remaining parties to the deal to ensure this remains the case including through ensuring the continuing economic benefits to the Iranian people that are linked to the agreement," said the joint statement.
The Iranian foreign minister said in December 2018 that Tehran will not stand by for Europeans to fulfill their commitments under the JCPOA, following the United States' move to pull out from the deal.
"The Europeans are acting slowly in the fulfillment of their commitments under the nuclear agreement," Zarif said in an interview with Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network, adding, "We will not wait around for them unless they adopt practical steps."
A senior Iranian cleric on January 17 censured Europe for dragging its feet on adopting practical measures to save the multilateral nuclear agreement following the US’s withdrawal, saying he thinks the Islamic Republic will ultimately have to “set fire” to the deal.
“Some imagine they could rely on the Europeans when the US withdraws from the JCPOA,” Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, said, adding, “The Europeans are however dragging their feet and would do nothing in our interest. The Europeans are worse than the Americans. If not, they are not any better.”
Late in January, the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal issued a joint statement, announcing the launch of a long-awaited direct non-dollar payment mechanism meant to safeguard their trade ties with Tehran in the face of the sanctions.
Germany, France and Britain had registered the mechanism, named the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) which would be based in the French capital, Paris, and managed by a German banking expert.
INSTEX is initially intended to be used for selling food, medicine and medical devices to Iran, but it could also be expanded in the future.
“It (the payment channel) won’t change things dramatically, but it’s an important political message to Iran to show that we are determined to save the JCPOA and also the United States to show we defend our interests despite their extraterritorial sanctions,” a European diplomat was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Iran's nuclear chief said on February 2 that the establishment of a new mechanism to ease trade with Iran despite US sanctions is a promising step but the Europeans must act more swiftly and adopt final measures in this regard.
"The Europeans took a promising step in terms of economy and we hope that they will keep racing ahead on the same path," the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, told reporters.
Later on February 4, former Iran's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said the Islamic Republic will never give in to humiliating conditions set by Europe for the enforcement of its new non-dollar mechanism.
Addressing a meeting of high-ranking judicial officials on Monday, Amoli Larijani said, “After nine months of dawdling and negotiations, European countries have come up with a limited-capacity mechanism not for exchange of money with Iran, but to supply food and medicine.”
On February 5, Iran welcomed the European Union’s “positive positions” on the JCPOA outlined in a 12-point statement, but remains critical of certain other points raised in the document, including those regarding Iran’s national defense program and regional role.
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