European Powers Emphasize Again: Iran Should Remain in the JCPOA

European officials, during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, reiterated their call for Tehran to remain in the nuclear agreement. The foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany, the three countries that signed the nuclear deal, held discussions with Zarif on Tuesday, May 14, emphasizing that sanctions against Iran also harm European companies' interests. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stated ahead of the meeting in Brussels: "Britain and our European partners still consider the JCPOA important for our security and are fully committed to it." He added, "We need to see what options we have to lift sanctions against Iran while assuring Iran that we are committed to our obligations under the nuclear agreement. At the same time, we ask Iran to continue to adhere to the limitations set by the JCPOA regarding its nuclear program." Johnson then urged Washington to avoid "any actions that could prevent other parties to the agreement from fulfilling their commitments under the deal." Hours before these statements, Zarif mentioned having a "very good and constructive" meeting with Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, who helped secure UN Security Council endorsement of the nuclear agreement. After the meeting, which took place at the EU headquarters in Brussels and lasted an hour, Zarif expressed his belief that both sides are working to ensure that "the interests of the remaining countries in the JCPOA are preserved, especially regarding guarantees for Iran's interests." Mogherini stated that the purpose of the meeting was to explore how Iran and Europeans could cooperate to maintain the JCPOA. She emphasized the necessity of preserving the JCPOA as an agreement that "has worked so far," saying that "only after that can we work on other issues and improve conditions, and there is always such a possibility." The U.S. has given European companies six months to cut their business ties with Tehran, making it difficult for Europe to maintain the JCPOA. Knut Fleckenstein, a German member of the European Parliament, explained the situation: "We are used to having the Americans by our side. For a very long time, they have been our reliable allies. Now it seems that this is not the case." He added, "What I expect from my government in Germany and the European Commission is a clear and effective mechanism on how to respond to U.S. sanctions against Iran in a way that supports European companies trading with Iran." Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that "although the nuclear agreement with Iran certainly has weaknesses, it must be preserved." Speaking at a labor union congress in Berlin, she added that Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the nuclear agreement indicates "a transformation in the relationship between Germany and the U.S. and Europe and the U.S." She continued, "Britain, France, and Germany believe that the agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program, although it certainly has weaknesses, should be supported." Merkel also noted that Europe is aware of "the threats posed by Iran's activities in Syria to Israel, but we still believe that with this agreement we have better opportunities for dialogue with Iran to reach further agreements." The U.S. government has emphasized that Iran must agree to a new deal that also includes its missile program. Iran has so far rejected this issue and warned that if Europeans cannot guarantee that Iran's interests will be preserved under the current U.S. position against the JCPOA, it will withdraw from the agreement. In this context, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated on Tuesday during a ceremony to receive the credentials of Estonia's new ambassador, Marin Motus, that "Iran can only remain in the JCPOA if it fully benefits from its advantages." He added, "Unfortunately, today the U.S. intends to extend its internal laws to other parts of the world in an unreasonable and illegal action, which all countries, including the European Union, must stand against." Previously, the Iranian foreign minister had described the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA as "illegal" and "unjustified" in a letter to the UN Secretary-General, emphasizing that the U.S. has also "violated" UN Security Council Resolution 2231.