EU Invites Zarif for Talks on JCPOA This Thursday

The European Union has invited Iran's Foreign Minister to travel to Brussels on Thursday, January 11, for discussions with his counterparts from France, Britain, and Germany regarding the "nuclear agreement." According to a statement released by the EU, "the upcoming meeting is linked to current efforts to ensure the complete and lasting implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)." Federica Mogherini, the EU's chief foreign policy official, Jean-Yves Le Drian from France, Sigmar Gabriel from Germany, and Boris Johnson from Britain will participate in this meeting. This meeting comes as Iranian officials warned on Monday about the United States' withdrawal from the nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is a critic of the nuclear agreement and his administration has accused Iran of creating "instability" in the region, "supporting terrorism," developing a missile program, and disregarding the "spirit" of the nuclear agreement. Tehran has made similar accusations against the United States regarding the violation of the "spirit" of the JCPOA, stating that its missile program is "defensive" and describing Washington and its allies as "factors of instability" in the Middle East. In recent days, reports have emerged about a meeting between Mr. Zarif and European officials. The German Foreign Minister even stated that the EU intends to hold discussions regarding the widespread protests in Iran. However, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, stated that the potential meeting is "entirely related to the JCPOA." The widespread protests in Iran in December resulted in at least 21 deaths, with reports indicating that some of the deceased were teenagers. Hundreds have also been arrested during the protests. Human rights organizations have warned about the consequences of the protests, censorship of information, and the "crackdown" on demonstrators. Catherine Ray, spokesperson for the EU's chief foreign policy official, stated on Monday at a press conference that Federica Mogherini is in constant contact with Mohammad Javad Zarif regarding developments in Iran and the nuclear agreement. Ms. Ray did not provide a specific date for Mr. Zarif's trip to Brussels during the press conference. However, informed sources in the EU told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that this trip would take place on Thursday or Friday (January 11 or 12).