Iran, World Powers Protest at US Defiance of N. Deal
Representatives of Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany as well as Iran all protested at Washington for its noncompliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said after meeting his counterparts from the world powers in Vienna on Wednesday.
"In today's meeting (of the joint commission of Iran and the world powers on the nuclear deal), all members of the Group 5+1 protested at the US very explicitly and clearly and stressed that the US should comply with its undertakings timely and precisely," Araqchi told reporters at the end of the meeting in Vienna on Wednesday.
"All members emphasized that both sides should be fully committed to their undertakings and implement them," he added.
According to Araqchi, Helga Schmid, the deputy of the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and the coordinator of the joint commission, welcomed Iran's commitment to the nuclear deal, and asked all sides to fully comply with their undertakings with good will and in a constructive atmosphere.
His remarks came after Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi underlined that his country has prepared different scenarios to confront the US noncompliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is fully prepared to confront any situation if the US does not comply with its undertakings under the nuclear deal and if it continues problems and defiance," Qassemi said on Wednesday.
He said that the US Congress decision about the nuclear deal is an internal issue of that country, adding, "The US administration's commitment to the nuclear deal is important to us."
"What the Islamic Republic of Iran, the EU and other world states, specially other partners present in the nuclear talks, expect from the US is its compliance with its undertakings within the framework of the nuclear deal," Qassemi underscored.
Congressional and White House aides said on Tuesday that the US Congress will allow a deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran to pass this week, leaving the nuclear deal intact.
In October, Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement despite the IAEA's repeated confirmation of Iran's commitment. His decision triggered a 60-day window for Congress to decide whether to bring back sanctions on Iran.
Congressional leaders have announced no plans to introduce a resolution to reimpose sanctions before Wednesday’s deadline and aides say lawmakers will let the deadline pass without action.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the administration was not asking for sanctions to be reimposed. “The administration continues to make encouraging progress with Congress to fix the US–Iran deal and address long-term proliferation issues,” she told a daily press briefing.
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