Iran's Foreign Minister Wrote to Foreign Counterparts About 'Support for the JCPOA'

Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, sent a letter to his counterparts in all countries urging them to stand against what he described as 'lawlessness, bullying tactics, and America's disregard for the rule of law' while implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and supporting the JCPOA. This letter was sent last week to foreign ministers worldwide and published on Sunday, June 3, by Iranian news agencies. Zarif emphasized that America's so-called 'bullying' actions to rally other countries around its withdrawal from the JCPOA 'discredits the rule of law and international law at the global level.' He stated that these actions also 'challenge the goals and principles of the UN Charter and the effectiveness of international institutions.' Referring to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA, he noted that this agreement 'does not solely belong to its signatories so that one party can arbitrarily and irresponsibly reject it based on domestic policies or political disagreements with its former ruling body.' On May 9, Zarif had also described the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA as 'illegal' and 'unjustifiable,' stressing that the U.S. had also 'violated' UN Security Council Resolution 2231. This resolution was issued to endorse the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers. The resolution also calls on Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Before the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Washington and three European countries stated that Iran's missile program was not in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and was a 'source of instability and insecurity' in the region. The UN Secretary-General also reported to the Security Council that Iran has likely ignored the organization's demands to halt its ballistic missile program, although it has remained committed to the nuclear agreement. However, the Islamic Republic claims that its missiles are not designed to carry nuclear warheads. In his letter, Zarif also considered U.S. Secretary of State's remarks about imposing the harshest sanctions against Iran if the 12 conditions set by the U.S. are not met as 'in clear contradiction' to the agreement made between the two countries in the Algiers Accords of 1981, in which the U.S. committed to 'refrain from interfering in Iran's internal affairs.' Zarif's remarks come even though the 12 conditions announced by the U.S. Secretary of State do not mention Iran's internal issues. The U.S. demands from the Islamic Republic include halting uranium enrichment, releasing imprisoned American citizens, stopping the development of ballistic missile programs, ceasing support for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad, non-interference in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, not supporting the Taliban, ending threats to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Zarif also stated that the continuation of the JCPOA depends on the 'unconditional' commitment of the remaining countries and their trade partners to 'compensate for the damages caused by the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA through national, regional, and global actions.' According to him, otherwise, the Islamic Republic 'reserves the right to take appropriate measures.' The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic had previously set seven conditions for Iran to remain in the JCPOA. These include 'issuing a resolution against the U.S. in the UN Security Council,' 'not mentioning Iran's missile program and regional actions in negotiations,' 'guaranteeing trade with Iran by European banks,' 'ensuring the full sale of Iranian oil,' 'compensating for past breaches of commitment,' and 'countering U.S. sanctions.' Regarding his seventh condition, he stated: 'If the Europeans delay in responding to our demands, Iran's right to resume nuclear activities is preserved.' Following the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, European countries announced that they would remain in the agreement. They have urged Iran to adhere to its commitments and have reported their efforts to find a way to escape U.S. sanctions against European companies operating in Iran.