European Commission on JCPOA: All Parties Must Adhere to Their Commitments

In the ongoing efforts to maintain the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA, on Friday, October 6, the European Commission emphasized the effectiveness of this agreement, stating that "all parties" must adhere to their commitments. According to a Reuters report from Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union, a spokesperson for the European Commission stressed in a conversation with reporters that the nuclear agreement of the 5+1 group with the Islamic Republic has the endorsement of the United Nations Security Council. He further described the JCPOA as a "sustainable and long-term solution" for the nuclear issue of the Islamic Republic, which "provides necessary assurances to all parties involved." Accordingly, the spokesperson added: "We expect all parties involved to adhere to their commitments." The spokesperson did not mention the name of the U.S. President anywhere in this conversation nor provided further explanation on this matter; however, it seems that his remarks refer to signals that have particularly come from the White House in Washington over the past week. With the deadline of October 15 approaching, when the Trump administration must once again confirm Iran's compliance or non-compliance with the JCPOA provisions, the number of news reports and updates from the White House on this matter has increased. According to a law passed by the U.S. Congress, the U.S. government must report every 90 days to lawmakers on Iran's compliance or non-compliance with the JCPOA. After Iran's compliance with this global agreement has been confirmed twice so far, the U.S. government must once again announce its stance on the JCPOA this October. However, reports suggest that "expectations are" that this time Donald Trump will refuse to confirm Iran's compliance. According to several officials in the U.S. government, Donald Trump is expected to announce his country's policy regarding the JCPOA next week and is expected to state that the Vienna nuclear agreement is no longer in Washington's interests. Mr. Trump and his administration officials have repeatedly claimed that Iran is not adhering to the spirit of this agreement. In contrast, all of America's partners in the 5+1 group, especially over the past week, have come out in defense of the JCPOA and its effectiveness, simultaneously expressing hope that Mr. Trump will also endorse this. Among them, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said to reporters on Friday, October 6, that "it is very important that this agreement is maintained in its current form, and U.S. participation will be a significant factor in this regard." This point was also highlighted by the spokesperson for the European Commission: "We must remind that [the JCPOA] is a treaty for the non-proliferation [of nuclear weapons], a treaty that has the endorsement of the Security Council and is effective." Under the agreement reached between Iran and global powers in July 2015, which was implemented in January 2016, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from severe sanctions related to its nuclear program. This agreement was reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council along with Germany, coordinated by the European Union, but its approval in Iran and the United States followed a different path than in other countries. In both countries, the legislative body reviewed this agreement, but while the Iranian Parliament ultimately approved the JCPOA, in the U.S., this agreement was implemented without a vote in Congress, and in return, the U.S. government was required to provide a report on Iran's compliance with the agreement to Congress every 90 days.