Member of Parliament: Leader has 'reminded' the government about continuing JCPOA with Europe

Two days after the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran, the head of the Parliament's Nuclear Committee reported that the Leader of the Islamic Republic had given a 'reminder' to President Hassan Rouhani's government regarding the continuation of the JCPOA with Europe. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced on Tuesday evening that the United States is withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran and reinstating suspended sanctions against Iran. The next day, during a cabinet meeting, Mr. Trump warned the Islamic Republic of Iran that if it resumes uranium enrichment, it will face serious consequences. Mojtaba Zolnour, head of the Nuclear Committee of Parliament, stated on Wednesday evening that the President and some officials had announced that they have a structured plan for the future of the JCPOA under any circumstances, but it became clear the night before that there was no specific plan in place. This representative, a member of the 'Stability Front', criticized that 'ministers did not express a clear position regarding the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA' and said if President Rouhani's government had a specific plan, it would not have raised the issue of continuing with Europe and would not have faced the 'reminder' from Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Republic. Mojtaba Zolnour did not refer to the details of the 'Leader's reminder to the President'. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated shortly after Donald Trump officially announced the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement that 'in the coming weeks, we will conduct necessary consultations and coordination with European countries, Russia, and China.' In response to the Iranian President's remarks, Mojtaba Zolnour pointed out that 'Europe has a thousand billion dollars in economic exchanges with the United States' and stated, 'All of Europe's exchanges with Iran do not even reach 15 billion dollars; therefore, no sane person would accept that Europe turns its back on the United States and seeks Iran.' According to Fars News Agency, this parliamentary representative also reported on pursuing a double-urgent plan in Parliament that would obligate the government to 'state conditions and set principles in negotiations with European countries and provide practical guarantees for the European side,' and that negotiations should not last more than one month. In another news, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, called the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA 'an excuse' and said: 'The goal is to subjugate the Iranian nation.' This senior military official emphasized that 'we have no hope that diplomacy can create a path in the JCPOA' and stated: 'Europe cannot deviate from the political subservience to the U.S.' At the same time, Mohammad Javad Larijani, the deputy for international affairs of Iran's judiciary, stated that with the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, 'Iran has no legal obligation to comply with the JCPOA anymore.' According to Fars News Agency, Mohammad Javad Larijani pointed out that the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement constitutes a 'formal breach of the international treaty,' and he has urged Islamic Republic officials to 'temporarily suspend all monitoring systems of the International Atomic Energy Agency, including human resources and electronic facilities.' However, Mr. Larijani stated that if the Islamic Republic continues to comply with the JCPOA provisions, 'it is based on special interests that we have considered.' Western powers have imposed various rounds of mainly economic sanctions against Iran due to their concerns about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, which Iran hoped to alleviate through the JCPOA and boost its economy. The European Union expressed deep regret over the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA on Wednesday, stating that as long as Iran adheres to this agreement, the EU will not reinstate its sanctions. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman of Iran, referred to this situation on Wednesday, saying: 'In the past, in addition to U.S. sanctions, the European Union and the Security Council also imposed additional sanctions against Iran, but today the U.S. is alone.' According to IRNA, the Iranian government spokesman claimed that 'new sanctions will not shock the country's economy' and stated: 'Given the EU's readiness, it seems that Iran will not have any specific problems in the new JCPOA conditions.' Following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, concerns have been raised regarding the possibility of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran, but on Tuesday, John Bolton, the National Security Advisor to the Trump administration, emphasized that this action 'is not a precursor to military confrontation with Iran.' Mr. Bolton asserted that those who believe the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA will lead to war with the Islamic Republic 'are seriously mistaken.'