Iraqchi Warns of Iran's 'Decisive Reaction' to US Withdrawal from JCPOA

Less than a month before the deadline set by the US President for 'fixing the flaws of the JCPOA', the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic warned on Wednesday, April 29, that the US exit from the nuclear agreement would lead to a 'decisive reaction' from Tehran. Abbas Araqchi, the political deputy to Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking to the IRNA news agency in Rome, Italy, emphasized that Tehran is 'prepared to confront any scenario and has made the necessary preparations for every situation'. The European Union wishes to maintain the nuclear agreement signed in July 2015 between Iran and six world powers, including the European troika - France, Germany, and the UK - but Donald Trump believes the JCPOA is one of the worst agreements he has ever seen and that its 'catastrophic flaws' must be fixed, otherwise Washington will likely withdraw from it. He has given Germany, France, and the UK until May 22 to amend the agreement; otherwise, he will not extend the suspension of sanctions against Iran under the JCPOA. This deadline has led to an increase in the travels of officials from the countries involved in the nuclear agreement, especially in Europe. On one hand, the leaders of Germany and France will visit Washington in less than two weeks. Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron are both coming close to a meeting with Donald Trump, and it has been reported that one of the main topics of discussion between the two sides will be ways to preserve the nuclear agreement with Iran. On the other hand, the visits of Iranian officials to Europe have also made headlines, including Abbas Araqchi, who has arrived in Rome after visiting several European capitals and stated that he will continue his travels to Brussels, Oslo, and New York. Araqchi warned on Wednesday: 'We will not allow the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran to be harmed by Trump's actions.' The remarks from the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister came just hours after statements from a senior member of the US Senate regarding the JCPOA. Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated on Wednesday that if the Europeans do not address the issues that Donald Trump has raised regarding the nuclear agreement, the US President sees no problem in withdrawing from the agreement. The US is calling for the removal of the so-called 'sunset clause' in the JCPOA. According to the 'sunset clause', Iran can increase its enrichment centrifuges after ten years and is allowed to increase its stock of low-enriched uranium after fifteen years. However, the imposition of new sanctions against the Islamic Republic has faced opposition within the European Union, including from Italy, which has significant investments in Iran, especially following the implementation of the JCPOA, and is not keen on these new sanctions. 'Increasing challenges for the Islamic Republic in the area of lifting sanctions' Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the submission of the 'ninth report on the implementation of the JCPOA' by this ministry to the Islamic Consultative Assembly. This official acknowledged in his conversation with IRNA that 'the challenges of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this area [lifting sanctions] have increased in the last three months due to the conditions created by the pressure of the US government.' As Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson, explained, this report is also largely influenced by Donald Trump's deadline for the nuclear agreement. According to Qasemi, the report outlines 'the US government's breaches of the JCPOA' and 'the consequences of the US government's destructive actions on intensifying the atmosphere of doubt and its negative impact on our country's full enjoyment of the benefits of the JCPOA'. One of Donald Trump's criticisms of the Islamic Republic is that, considering its missile activities and its role in the Middle East, including in Syria, it is not actually adhering to the 'spirit of the JCPOA'.