Hassan Rouhani to Macron: The JCPOA is Not Open for Renegotiation

Hours after the statement from three European countries about the necessity of preparing a supplementary agreement with Iran, Hassan Rouhani emphasized in a phone conversation with the French President Emmanuel Macron that "the JCPOA is not open for renegotiation" and that the Islamic Republic "will not accept any limitations beyond its commitments." The Iranian President stated on Sunday evening, May 9, during the call with Macron that "the JCPOA and any other issue under its pretext is not negotiable at all." He also mentioned that the future of the JCPOA after 2025 will be determined by "international regulations" and that Iran "will not accept any limitations beyond its commitments." Rouhani added: "Even if on May 12 the U.S. announces it will remain in the JCPOA and wants to continue the conditions of the past two years, it is not acceptable for us." The Islamic Republic's President had previously stated that Iran opposes adding or removing a word from the nuclear agreement and that the Islamic Republic will not accept any limitations regarding its missile program. According to a report from the Iranian Presidential Office, Emmanuel Macron stated that "the European Union defends the JCPOA." The Élysée Palace also issued a statement regarding this phone call, stating that the conversation between the two leaders lasted one hour. The statement clarified that Hassan Rouhani and Emmanuel Macron agreed to work together in the coming weeks to preserve the JCPOA. Additionally, the French President proposed that discussions be expanded to include "three additional and necessary topics." These three topics are ballistic missile programs, Iran's nuclear activities beyond 2025, and "major regional crises" in the Middle East. Rouhani's negative response to "renegotiation" regarding the JCPOA appears to be a reaction to Macron's proposal. On April 23, the French President had also presented a four-point plan as a supplement to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action known as the JCPOA, but the Islamic Republic's President rejected this plan. Meanwhile, the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany issued a joint statement calling for a supplementary agreement with Iran regarding the JCPOA. These three countries have committed to addressing other issues outside the framework of the JCPOA, including ballistic missiles, what should happen after the agreement ends, and Iran's role in destabilizing the region. Donald Trump announced on January 12 that he would extend the suspension of sanctions against Iran under the JCPOA for the last time unless "the catastrophic flaws" of this agreement are resolved by his European partners. This deadline ends on May 12. The U.S. President has set four conditions for continuing U.S. participation in the JCPOA, which include: "immediate access" for international inspectors to all sites and facilities in Iran, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, guaranteeing that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's ballistic missile program. Meanwhile, new U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated on Sunday in Israel that if the nuclear agreement with Iran is not changed, the United States will withdraw from it.