EU Foreign Policy Chief: The JCPOA Belongs to No Single Country

Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated on Tuesday that she respects the U.S. government's decision to review the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, but Washington must understand that the JCPOA is an international agreement endorsed by the United Nations and the European Union. According to Reuters, Mogherini, speaking at a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, asserted, "The nuclear agreement does not belong to a single country." The EU foreign policy chief emphasized, "We have a responsibility to ensure that the implementation of the JCPOA continues." This comes as the U.S. has announced it is reviewing the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers. In this context, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran on April 20 of "not acting in accordance with the spirit of the agreement." The U.S. President noted that "we will review the JCPOA very carefully," stating that it was a very bad agreement that should not have been signed and that negotiations should not have been conducted in that manner to reach the agreement. Similarly, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke of a "comprehensive review" of the Vienna nuclear agreement, but Iranian officials have emphasized that from Tehran's perspective, the Vienna nuclear agreement is "finished" and Iran will not enter into new political negotiations with the U.S. regarding this agreement. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Sergey Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, has traveled to Tehran and met with Abbas Araghchi, head of the JCPOA Follow-up Committee and Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Ryabkov stated prior to the meeting that Moscow opposes "any attempts to rewrite or reinterpret" the JCPOA. Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with Iranian state television, emphasized that these discussions were intended to conduct consultations ahead of the next round of the Joint Commission of Iran and the P5+1, which will take place on July 21 in Vienna. The head of the JCPOA Follow-up Committee at the Iranian Foreign Ministry added, "Before holding the next round of the Joint Commission, it was necessary to have consultations and review various topics in advance." Araghchi further stated, "Considering the developments that have occurred in international arenas, such as the G20 summit and the meetings held there, there are certainly viewpoints that need to be conveyed to us." According to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was agreed upon in July 2015 between Iran and six world powers, Iran suspended many of its nuclear activities, and international nuclear sanctions against it were suspended or lifted. Following the implementation of the nuclear agreement, it was announced that a Joint Commission composed of Iran and the six world powers, led and coordinated by the EU's foreign policy chief, would continue to "monitor and supervise the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA." In this context, Iran is taking "reciprocal and proportional actions" in response to the Senate's sanctions package.