European countries in emergency meeting of the Board of Governors: Iran must adhere to JCPOA commitments

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors held an emergency meeting in Vienna at the request of the United States. The meeting reviewed Iran's move to "step by step reduce its commitments in the nuclear deal." What was the reaction of the United States, Europe, and Iran?

An extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency was held on Wednesday, July 10, at the request of Jackie Wolcott, the US representative to the Agency.

The United States requested an urgent meeting of the Board of Governors after Iran announced "a phased reduction in its commitments under the JCPOA" and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed an increase in the level of enrichment and stockpiling of enriched uranium.

Representatives of 35 member countries of the Board of Governors met in Vienna to discuss Iran's new approach to the nuclear deal.

Representatives of Germany, Britain and France issued a joint statement calling on Iran to adhere to its commitments in the nuclear deal and reconsider its recent policy. The three powerful European countries that signed the JCPOA announced that they are committed to the nuclear deal, but their support for the JCPOA will depend on Iran's full implementation of its commitments. The three countries called for an emergency joint meeting to discuss Iran's reduction in its commitments in the JCPOA.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, also tweeted that " the United States was practically isolated" in this meeting.

He made it clear that Iran should keep its nuclear program peaceful only in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

The Russian representative said: "It is very difficult to maintain the unilateral nature of the agreement. The US policy of crippling the Iranian economy has had a negative impact on the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspections in Iran."

US statement to the Board of Governors

The United States also issued a statement on the eve of the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors, accusing Iran of "global blackmail" and declaring that it would not be deceived by "Iran's tactics" and would not lift sanctions.

The US statement states that the approach adopted by the Islamic Republic regime will only further isolate the country.

The tweet from the US mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency states that there is no reason for Iran to develop its nuclear program and that Iran's method is only "extorting money from the international community."

Trump: Sanctions against Iran will increase

US President Donald Trump tweeted at the same time as the Board of Governors meeting that “Iran has been secretly enriching in complete violation of the nuclear deal.” The US president threatened that “sanctions will soon be significantly increased.”

"Iran has been secretly enriching for a long time, in complete contradiction to the terrible $150 billion deal made by John Kerry and the Obama administration. Remember, this deal [the JCPOA] was supposed to expire in a few years. Sanctions will be significantly increased soon," Trump wrote on Twitter.

In addition to oil and banking sanctions, the United States has also imposed sanctions on Iran's petrochemical, metal, and precious metals industries. American officials, including the president, have repeatedly said that sanctions against Iran will continue until Iran is brought to the negotiating table.

Brian Hook, head of the Iran Action Group at the US State Department, has said that the economic losses to the Islamic Republic related to oil sanctions alone exceed $50 billion annually.

The meeting of the Board of Governors at the request of the United States is part of Washington's policy of maximum pressure and sanctions on Tehran.

Iran's reaction to the Board of Governors meeting

Hassan Rouhani called the Board of Governors meeting a "funny story."

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador and representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, also said: "Recent developments regarding Iran's implementation of measures related to reducing JCPOA commitments have nothing to do with safeguards-related issues and the mission framework of the Board of Governors."

Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency said in an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit: "What we are doing has only one goal: We want to preserve the nuclear deal. Everything can be reversed in just one hour, if all our partners in this deal fulfill their obligations in the same way."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter about the holding of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting that "America hates the JCPOA" and violated it, and will punish those who uphold it.

The Iranian Foreign Minister also wrote that 15 previous reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran had fully complied with the JCPOA.

The European Union expressed concern about Iran's gradual reduction in commitments under the nuclear deal, and a day before the Board of Governors meeting, it called for an urgent meeting of the JCPOA Commission to address Iran's increase in uranium enrichment levels.