Salehi: European Proposals for Iran's Expectations from JCPOA Are Insufficient

Ali Akbar Salehi, the Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has expressed doubts about maintaining the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA following the U.S. withdrawal from the deal, stating that the proposals offered by Europe are insufficient for Iran's expectations from this nuclear agreement. According to ISNA, Salehi made these remarks on Tuesday, June 18, during a meeting with Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in Oslo, Norway. In this meeting, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization described the recent U.S. policies regarding the JCPOA as destructive, referencing the country's similar past behaviors, and expressed skepticism about the possibility of preserving the JCPOA under the current conditions, deeming the proposals received from the European Union inadequate for the Islamic Republic's expectations. After the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with six world powers, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that foreign companies doing business with Iran have a maximum of six months to terminate their contracts with Tehran. Several major European companies have already announced their exit from Iran. European countries, particularly France, the UK, and Germany, have stated that they are working to ensure that Tehran benefits from the agreement as long as it remains committed to it. The European Union claims to be seeking solutions to guarantee European companies' investments in Iran and protect them from future U.S. sanctions. Salehi also described the results achieved from the JCPOA in the economic, banking, and investment sectors as far below expectations and called for explicit support from JCPOA supporters, including the United Nations and European countries, against Donald Trump's policies. He characterized the situation in the Middle East as dangerous, emphasizing Iran's crucial role in the region and stating that if the current trend continues, everyone will lose. Previously, President Hassan Rouhani threatened that 'if Iran cannot benefit from this agreement, remaining in it will not be feasible.' Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, had previously mentioned a 60-day deadline for the remaining countries in the JCPOA to provide guarantees regarding 'preserving Iran's interests' if it remains in the agreement. Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the nuclear deal with Iran, stating that the Islamic Republic continued to expand its ballistic missile program and 'support for terrorism' in the region after the JCPOA. After the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo outlined 12 demands for reaching a new agreement with Iran, stating that if Iran does not change its behavior, the U.S. would impose 'the most severe sanctions in history' against Iran. U.S. officials claim that the new strategy aims to change the behavior of Iran's leaders. Meanwhile, on June 3, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic ordered the Atomic Energy Organization to increase uranium enrichment capacity in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA.