Germany: The Collapse of the JCPOA Will Ignite the Entire Region

The German Foreign Minister stated that it is essential to maintain the nuclear agreement with Iran, as Tehran's withdrawal from this agreement and its potential pursuit of nuclear weapons would jeopardize the stability of the entire region. Heiko Maas, on Tuesday, October 25, at the beginning of the UN General Assembly in New York, reiterated support for the nuclear deal with Iran, saying, 'We do not want this [Tehran's exit from the JCPOA]. This event will ignite the entire region.' Tehran has consistently asserted that it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons. Despite the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the re-imposition of sanctions, Iran has remained in the JCPOA, although it has warned Europe that practical measures must be taken to counter U.S. sanctions, or else it will adopt a different policy. Meanwhile, Germany, Britain, and France, which are other parties to the nuclear agreement, have announced that they intend to create new channels for transferring money to save the JCPOA, allowing Iran to engage in trade. This decision was announced by Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, on Monday evening after meeting with representatives from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, and Iran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, although no details have yet been released. Mogherini stated that this group welcomed practical proposals for preserving and establishing payment channels, and has specifically worked to establish a special institution to facilitate financial transactions related to Iranian oil. Previously, discussions had also been raised about establishing a specific financial institution in the EU to continue trade with Iran, but these measures have not yet prevented European companies from exiting Iran. The U.S., which exited the JCPOA on May 8, has urged countries and international companies to stop trading with Iran, or they will face severe sanctions from Washington.