Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Iran, Britain, Germany, and France Next Week in Brussels

A senior Iranian diplomat said on Thursday, May 9, that Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet next week in Brussels with the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, France, and the EU's foreign policy chief to discuss the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The diplomat, who requested anonymity, told Kyodo News that the meeting will take place on Tuesday (next week) to discuss the new situation following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, announced on Tuesday that Washington would withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA, and in addition to reinstating suspended sanctions on Iran, new penalties against Tehran would be imposed. This Iranian diplomat stated that in this one-day meeting, Iran is seeking "practical guarantees" from the three European countries for the full implementation of the JCPOA. Previously, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Foreign Minister, had said that representatives from France, Britain, and Germany would likely meet with the Iranian representative next Monday. In response to Trump's decision, Le Drian stated that the JCPOA is not dead. The U.S. has exited the agreement, but the JCPOA remains in place. In this context, the Iranian government issued a statement on Thursday urging EU member countries to take necessary actions to "safeguard" the JCPOA and fulfill their commitments "unconditionally." Additionally, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, spoke with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani by phone on Thursday, stating that as long as Iran remains committed to the terms of the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA, Germany will also implement it. Merkel also requested that Rouhani engage in broader discussions that include Iran's ballistic missile activities and the Islamic Republic's actions in the region. Previously, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic had stated that he does not trust the European leaders involved in the JCPOA and had asked the government to obtain "practical guarantees" from them to fulfill their commitments. Ali Khamenei stated, "I do not trust these three countries (Germany, Britain, and France)... If you want to make a deal, we need to get practical guarantees; otherwise, they will all act like the U.S.... If you cannot secure definite guarantees, the JCPOA cannot continue." Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., reached a comprehensive agreement in July 2015 to resolve Tehran's nuclear program, which, in addition to halting some of Iran's nuclear activities, also suspended many U.S. and UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. Since his presidential campaign in 2016, Donald Trump has been a staunch opponent of this agreement, describing it as "the worst deal ever." On Tuesday, the U.S. President stated that the nuclear deal with Iran "does not impose any restrictions on Iran's disruptive actions in the region, including support for terrorism. Since this agreement was reached, Iran's bloody ambitions have only increased and become more brazen." The White House spokesperson also stated yesterday that the U.S. will continue its maximum pressure campaign against Iran and will impose extensive sanctions against the country. All sanctions that were in place before the agreement (JCPOA) will be reinstated, and preparations are underway to impose new sanctions by next week.