Iran nuclear deal isn't dead yet; Ex-diplomat
A former high-ranking Iranian diplomat said Iran’s fourth step of reducing commitments to the July 2015 nuclear deal will definitely be done but I doubt that this step is means the deal is dead.
Speaking o ILNA news agency, former Ambassador to Jordan Nosratollah Tajik pointed to the Guardian newspaper news that European will leave the international deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if Iran takes the fourth step and added “It is natural that both sides are currently in a psychological war and each side is trying to get more privilege from the other side.”
Asked whether Japan and France's mediation would succeed in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States and could save Iran’s deal in Future, he said that if a country wants to play a role in this area, it has the best time because US President faces external and internal problems and Trump is in the weakest position.”
Iranian diplomat cited Europe's role in maintaining JCPOA and added “Europe has been reluctant to pay the price to save the deal and fulfillment of its obligations.”
Earlier on Tuesday, President Hassan Rouhani announced that Tehran would begin to inject uranium gas into centrifuges at its Fordow enrichment facility on Wednesday, as a third 60-day deadline for the European co-signatories to fulfill their side of the deal expired. Located in central Iran, Fordow houses 1,044 centrifuges.
Under the nuclear deal signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, these centrifuges are supposed to spin without gas injection. Tehran has gradually reduced commitments made under the accord - including uranium stockpile and enrichment limits - since being hit with renewed US sanctions last year.
Rouhani said on Tuesday that Iran will go back to the past situation only if the other parties come to terms with the joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and lift the sanctions.
Iran's 4th step like the three previous ones will be revocable if it sees other parties comply with the deal, the President said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message advised Europeans to abide by regulations, saying then Iran will reverse.
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