Borrell: The three European countries will not lift JCPOA sanctions; Islamic Republic: We will respond within the framework of the JCPOA

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated on Thursday that the UK, France, and Germany have informed him in a letter that they will not lift JCPOA sanctions on October 18. According to Borrell, the foreign ministers of these three European countries pointed to Iran's non-compliance with the JCPOA since 2019 and the unresolved issues through the JCPOA dispute resolution mechanism, announcing that they will not take steps to lift further sanctions on the 'JCPOA transition day' on October 18 this year. The EU's foreign policy chief added that at the request of these three European countries, he would send their letter to other JCPOA parties, namely China, Iran, and Russia, and 'as coordinator, I will consult with all participants in the JCPOA about the way forward.' Josep Borrell emphasized that he remains fully committed to efforts to revive the JCPOA and resume its full implementation. The three European members of the JCPOA sent this letter while on Thursday, along with the United States, they issued a joint statement warning the Islamic Republic that if it does not resolve 'all major remaining issues,' another resolution may be issued against it in the IAEA Board of Governors. They emphasized in their joint statement that the Islamic Republic cannot continue to neglect its legal commitments and urged Iran to 'act without delay to clarify and resolve all major remaining issues.' The US, UK, France, and Germany also supported a statement by 63 countries in the Board of Governors regarding the necessity for the Islamic Republic to respond to the IAEA's questions. These countries backed the request of Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for serious cooperation from the Islamic Republic to resolve outstanding nuclear issues with the agency. The Islamic Republic, claiming that its nuclear program has peaceful objectives, has ignored previous resolutions and accelerated its nuclear activities. However, Western powers argue that there is no credible civilian justification for the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities. Western diplomats involved in the JCPOA have repeatedly stated that due to the suppression of peaceful protesters following the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini and the Islamic Republic's military cooperation with Russia, reviving the JCPOA is currently not a priority. The Islamic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement published by IRNA, wrote: 'There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately and within its rights under the JCPOA to this illegal, provocative action, and clear violation of the obligations of the EU, France, Germany, and the UK under the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. We warn the European parties against taking provocative actions that will undoubtedly complicate the management of relations between us and negatively affect the cooperation process, including in the negotiations to lift sanctions.'