Salehi Says Europe's 'Gradual Actions' Not Enough to Save JCPOA

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic, called on the European Union to accelerate its efforts to save the nuclear agreement with Iran on Monday. According to the German news agency, Salehi made this statement during his speech at the 62nd General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency on September 16. The Iranian Vice President referred to developments and consultations between Iran and the EU regarding the future of the JCPOA, stating, "Despite the encouraging nature of these developments, it is essential that these steps be complemented by more practical and robust actions, and the approach of gradual actions is not an appropriate mechanism in response to the conditions arising from the stubborn policies of the U.S. that undermine UN Security Council Resolution 2231." He also expressed hope that the process of reaching a "broader conclusion" regarding Iran's nuclear program would be expedited. The 'stubborn policy' Salehi refers to is the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the re-imposition of sanctions against Iran. Resolution 2231 of the Security Council, issued after the Vienna nuclear agreement to endorse it, calls on Iran to refrain from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. U.S. officials have always considered the continuation of the Islamic Republic's missile program to be contrary to the spirit of the JCPOA and have called for other parties to the agreement to withdraw from it. The European Union, which is a party to the JCPOA, has opposed the U.S. withdrawal and is seeking ways to maintain the agreement. France, the UK, and Germany are working to establish a special financial institution to facilitate trade with Iran after the economic sanctions imposed by Washington against Tehran. Salehi's tone in requesting more efforts from the EU is somewhat calmer than that of Iran's Foreign Minister towards European officials in recent days. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, recently threatened the EU that if there is no balance between Iran's achievements and data from the nuclear agreement, the Islamic Republic will increase its uranium enrichment percentage while remaining in the JCPOA. Iranian officials have stated that oil exports and banking transactions are Iran's most important expectations from the EU. They have asked Europe to provide a practical solution for buying oil and trading with Iran by November 5, the time of the return of the second round of U.S. sanctions. In another part of his speech on Monday, Salehi warned about the regional impact of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, saying, "This concern is not solely related to U.S. unilateralism but is also linked to the very difficult conditions in our region, which is filled with widespread turmoil and terrorist threats." Meanwhile, Washington considers the policies of the Islamic Republic to be the main source of terrorist threats and instability in the region.