Hassan Rouhani: Iran Will Never Be the Initiator of Violating the JCPOA

While the President of Iran has reiterated that Tehran "will never be the initiator of violating the JCPOA," the Iranian Foreign Minister has claimed that "continuing the JCPOA without the U.S. is not impossible" and "all options, including returning to the previous stage, are on the table." According to the state news agency IRNA, Hassan Rouhani stated on Wednesday, September 6, during a meeting with the special envoy of the Japanese Prime Minister, that the U.S. government has "not fully complied" with its commitments under the Vienna nuclear agreement, and that officials in the U.S. "are undermining the atmosphere of international cooperation with certain statements and the enactment of regulations and laws." He added, "The Islamic Republic of Iran will never be the initiator of violating the JCPOA, but will respond appropriately to the non-compliance and violations of the other party." Rouhani's statements and similar remarks from other Islamic Republic officials regarding the U.S.'s failure to meet its commitments come as Abbas Araqchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, previously stated that the problems faced by Iranian banks and insurance companies for economic cooperation with foreign countries have "been resolved" and that there is "no deadlock" in this regard, although there are issues partly related to foreign countries and partly due to the "outdated" nature of Iranian banks. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also emphasized in its reports to the parliament regarding the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement that one of the most significant obstacles to benefiting from this agreement is the continuation of the so-called "primary sanctions" imposed by the United States in the 1980s and 1990s related to issues such as human rights, terrorism, and money laundering against the Islamic Republic. The Trump administration, which took office last January, has confirmed Iran's compliance with the Vienna agreement twice in reports to the U.S. Congress, although it has stated that Tehran has not adhered to the "spirit of the JCPOA." Washington's reference to Iran's violation of the spirit of the JCPOA includes the ballistic missile tests conducted by the Revolutionary Guards and what it describes as Iran's role in undermining peace and stability in the Middle East through its involvement in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon. Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley stated on September 5 that if Donald Trump reports to Congress in October that Iran has not complied with the nuclear agreement with major powers, it does not mean that Washington will withdraw from the JCPOA. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Tuesday that the U.S. cannot "impose the cost of halting" the Vienna nuclear agreement on the Islamic Republic and that if U.S. officials want to "halt" this agreement, they must "pay the cost." However, Zarif, in an interview with the Al-Mayadeen network in Lebanon, the text of which was published in Iranian media on Wednesday, said: "Continuing the nuclear agreement without the U.S. is not impossible, but we do not seek it." He added: "All options, including returning to the previous stage, are on the table, and there are other options besides withdrawing from this agreement that will be specified at the appropriate time." Zarif did not mention how the continuation of the Vienna nuclear agreement without the U.S. as a member of the 1+5 group would be possible. These statements also contradict previous remarks by the Foreign Minister and other officials of the Islamic Republic, who had referred to the Vienna nuclear agreement as a deal among several countries. On Friday, September 1, the Iranian Foreign Minister also stated that "the JCPOA is not Iran's only choice," and the options of U.S. officials "are not infinite, and Iran's choices are not limited." The Associated Press reported on July 27, citing senior U.S. officials, that Donald Trump is seeking discussions with European countries to formulate a new agreement that could prevent the development of Iran's nuclear program even after the expiration of the JCPOA. According to this report, the U.S. President is also trying to conduct inspections of Iran's "suspicious" military sites. In response, Iranian officials reacted strongly to the meeting of the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and his criticism of the fact that the Agency does not inspect Iran's military centers and bases.