Iran's Foreign Minister: The U.S. Must Fulfill Its Commitments Under the JCPOA

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated on Thursday, April 31, that the United States should fulfill its commitments under the nuclear agreement instead of making accusations against the Islamic Republic. Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, accused Iran on Wednesday of engaging in 'ongoing dangerous provocations' to destabilize the Middle East. Simultaneously, the Donald Trump administration announced it is reviewing its policy towards Tehran, including the nuclear agreement. The U.S. Secretary of State also mentioned in a letter to Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, that Iran had complied with its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) until April 29 of this year. In his first reaction to Tillerson's remarks, Zarif criticized the statements on Twitter, asserting that 'baseless accusations from the U.S. cannot cover up its acknowledgment of Iran's compliance with JCPOA commitments.' Zarif added, 'The U.S. is obligated to change its course and fulfill its commitments.' According to the JCPOA, which was agreed upon in July 2015 between Iran and six world powers, the U.S. State Department is required to report to Congress every 90 days on Iran's compliance with the JCPOA. Tillerson's letter is the first report from the U.S. government since Trump took office. Under the JCPOA, Iran suspended many of its nuclear activities, and international sanctions against it were suspended or lifted. The acknowledgment by the new U.S. administration of Iran's compliance comes despite Trump's campaign promise to tear up the nuclear agreement if he won the presidency. However, it seems he has at least temporarily accepted this agreement, recently signing a letter to continue the suspension of sanctions against Iran. Despite this development, officials in the new U.S. administration have repeatedly accused Iran of being involved in regional instability and interfering in the affairs of Middle Eastern countries. Iran is a key supporter of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization. Hezbollah fights alongside Iranian forces and Syrian soldiers loyal to Bashar al-Assad against his opponents. Iran is also accused of sending forces to Iraq and providing financial and military assistance to Houthi militants in Yemen. In this context, the U.S. Treasury Secretary announced that non-nuclear sanctions against Iran would increase. Donald Trump is 'evaluating the benefits of the JCPOA for U.S. security.' Tillerson stated that the U.S. is reviewing its policies towards Iran.