U.S. State Department: Negotiations with Europeans on the Future of the JCPOA Continue

Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, announced on Thursday, May 2, that negotiations between the United States and three European countries regarding the future of the nuclear agreement with Iran, the JCPOA, are ongoing. She stated that the Europeans have significantly addressed U.S. concerns during discussions aimed at resolving the 'deficiencies' of the JCPOA. Nauert mentioned in her press conference, 'We - the U.S. State Department - continue our negotiations with the three EU member countries regarding our concerns about the JCPOA. I do not have specific details of these negotiations to share with you right now, but I can tell you that discussions are ongoing and occur intermittently.' The spokesperson added that due to her absence from the negotiations, she does not have all the information regarding the details of these discussions, but she can generally say that U.S. concerns about the JCPOA have been significantly addressed and that they have examined ways to strengthen the JCPOA. President Donald Trump previously set a deadline of May 12 to amend the nuclear agreement with Iran and is expected to announce his decision regarding remaining in the agreement on that day. The U.S. President has outlined four conditions for continued U.S. participation in the JCPOA, which include 'immediate access' for international inspectors to all sites and facilities in Iran, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's ballistic missile program. Leaders from Britain, France, and Germany, the three European powers, have recently welcomed further discussions to make changes to the JCPOA while emphasizing the importance of preserving it during meetings with U.S. officials. French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his country's commitment to the JCPOA on Wednesday, adding that the agreement is 'not sufficient' and 'we must prepare ourselves for broader negotiations and agreements with Iran because I believe no one wants war in the region.' Reuters, citing six informed sources, reports that the three European countries are simultaneously trying to convince Donald Trump not to withdraw from the nuclear agreement while also negotiating to protect their trade relations with Iran in the event of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. These sources expressed skepticism about the success of the European leaders' efforts to persuade the U.S. and stated that the European countries are now seeking a solution to limit the potential damages of a U.S. exit from the JCPOA. One source told Reuters, 'We still have a week to negotiate with the Americans and reach an agreement, but there is no reason to be optimistic about this.' A senior European diplomat also stated, 'We are trying to find the right formula that can meet American expectations while not taking action against the nuclear agreement.' This diplomat added, 'There is a chance to reach an agreement, but even if we achieve such an agreement, I think it will not be sufficient to prevent the U.S. from exiting.' Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized that the Islamic Republic will not renegotiate the JCPOA and will not engage in discussions with the West regarding issues such as its missile program and regional actions.