European JCPOA parties expected to support Iran's stance: FM
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the European signatories to the nuclear deal have no pretext to strongly counter the US unilateral moves against the international issues.
"Having failed to implement their obligations under JCPOA—incl after US withdrawal—EU/E3 should at minimum politically support Iran’s remedial measures under Para 36, incl at IAEA," Zarif wrote on his Twitter page after Tehran announced its second series of measures in the face of the US unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal, and the European failure to cover the resulted loss on Iran.
"E3 have no pretexts to avoid a firm political stance to preserve JCPOA & counter US unilateralism," he added.
US President Donald Trump, in a unilateral move, pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal that is also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Following the withdrawal, European signatories to the deal pledged that they would compensate the loss, but they failed to fulfill their promise.
On Sunday, Tehran said that at the second phase of its measures to preserve the nuclear deal, it officially launches enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 percent limit that is set by the deal. The first stage came on the anniversary of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in May when Iran announced it reduced its commitments under the deal.
"Today, Iran is taking its second round of remedial steps under Para 36 of the JCPOA. We reserve the right to continue to exercise legal remedies within JCPOA to protect our interests in the face of US #EconomicTerrorism. All such steps are reversible only through E3 compliance," he wrote.
Iranian officials have affirmed that the measures do not mean withdrawal from the deal, rather the steps are taken to save it.
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