Kharrazi: Europeans Will Suffer If They Do Not Fulfill Their Commitments

On Tuesday, December 18, the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations warned European countries that if they do not fulfill their commitments under the JCPOA agreement, they will themselves 'suffer.' Kamal Kharrazi referred to Europe's promises regarding the early implementation of a special financial mechanism with Iran, stating, 'Everyone hopes this mechanism will be implemented, and Europe has also made this promise so far.' However, he added that it is 'expected' that Europe will take 'practical steps' in this regard and that 'if they do not fulfill their commitments, they will suffer themselves.' Kharrazi did not provide further details, but in response to a question about what the Islamic Republic would do if Europe's promises are not realized soon, he said, 'We must do our own work and rely on ourselves.' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had previously stated that Europe is secretly pursuing the registration and implementation of its special financial mechanism to continue trade with Iran to avoid U.S. pressure. The European financial mechanism is designed to facilitate barter trade with Iran, meaning that the money from Iran's oil exports to European countries would be offset by the sale of goods and services from Europe to Iran. The U.S. has described this plan as Europe's mistake regarding Iran. Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, has also announced that the special financial mechanism for non-dollar trade with Iran will be ready by the end of this year. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, expressed hope that Europe's 'promises' for Iran to benefit from the economic conditions of the JCPOA would be realized before the New Year of 2019. The EU's plan, titled 'Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges' (INSTEX), was initially supposed to be implemented simultaneously with the full reimposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran, but its execution has faced challenges, the most significant being the refusal of some EU countries to host it. Iranian officials cite U.S. threats as the main reason for the reluctance of some countries, including Austria and Luxembourg, to host the office of this special financial mechanism. Nevertheless, they have repeatedly warned European officials that Iran's patience is running out, and if Tehran does not benefit from the JCPOA, there will be no reason to remain in this agreement. The legal deputy of the Iranian president also described the return of U.S. sanctions against Iran as 'illegal' from a legal and moral perspective in an interview with the Financial Times. Laya Joneidi stated, 'What the U.S. government has done to the Iranian people is illegal from a legal perspective and even more illegal from a moral perspective.' She considered Iran's lawsuit against the U.S. in the International Court of Justice as 'beneficial' for Iran and added, 'The U.S. knows it cannot ignore the Hague court's ruling.' The International Court of Justice in The Hague issued a temporary order stating that the United States must ensure that its unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic do not negatively affect essential goods or the safety of passenger flights. Iran filed a lawsuit against the U.S. in The Hague based on the Treaty of Amity signed on August 14, 1955, in Tehran between the United States and the Imperial Government of Iran, requesting the lifting of sanctions. However, following the ruling of the International Court of Justice, the U.S. Secretary of State announced that the country would withdraw from the Treaty of Amity with Iran. Nevertheless, Iran considers the ruling of the International Court of Justice a 'victory' for itself.