Iran threatens to "suspend implementation" of JCPOA if US nuclear sanctions begin
Following the UN Security Council meeting on the JCPOA on Wednesday, July 26, Iran's representative to the organization threatened in a statement that Tehran would suspend implementation of the JCPOA if the United States imposes new sanctions.
On Thursday, July 28, the Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA, quoted a statement by Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, as saying that the "reimposition" of US sanctions was the starting point for "suspending implementation" of Iran's commitments.
The statement said: “Iran has the indisputable right to… use the reimposition of nuclear sanctions by the United States as a basis for suspending the implementation of its obligations under the JCPOA, in whole or in part.”
The UN Secretary-General confirmed in his report to the Security Council on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic remains committed to the nuclear deal.
The report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal for the twelfth time, and Tehran has voluntarily allowed visits to other facilities, in accordance with the Additional Protocol.
However, in this report, Mr. Guterres also called on Iran to address and respond to the concerns of the international community about its missile program, namely activities that violate the restrictions and prohibitions of "Annex B" [Resolution 2231].
Part of "Annex B" of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which was issued in approval of the JCPOA, calls on Iran to refrain from activities related to its ballistic missile program capable of delivering nuclear warheads for eight years.
Although Islamic Republic officials have consistently denied that Iran has begun developing missiles capable of carrying warheads, the new statement by Iran's permanent representative made no mention of this part of the UN Secretary-General's remarks.
In his statement, Gholamali Khoshroo focused solely on the JCPOA and considered the confirmation of Iran's commitment to this agreement in the Security Council as a sign of "United States isolation."
Iran's representative to the United Nations has also demanded that the United States "be held accountable for this unlawful action in violation of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law."
He said: "The unilateral and illegal action of the United States in withdrawing from the JCPOA is subject to international responsibility and represents a gross violation of US commitments and a clear failure to adhere to Security Council Resolution 2231."
Donald Trump, a staunch critic of the nuclear deal that became official in the summer of 2015, ultimately withdrew from the agreement for various reasons, including the JCPOA's time limits, Iran's activities in the region, and its missile program.
But Iran's threat to withdraw from the JCPOA if the US reimposes sanctions has come at a time when US pressure on Iran's oil customers is increasing day by day.
On Tuesday of this week, a US State Department official said that Washington has asked countries that buy Iranian oil to reduce oil imports from Iran to zero starting in November (November 4).
A day later, Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the United Nations, in a meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, called on the Asian country to end its dependence on Iranian oil.
Previously, in the past two months, several large European and Asian companies that had visited Iran in the past two years have announced that they are forced to leave Iran to escape US sanctions.
Source: Radio Farda
