US Official: G7 Foreign Ministers to Discuss 'JCPOA'

Reuters reports, citing a US government official, that the foreign ministers of the G7 countries will discuss the nuclear agreement with Iran and the future of the 'JCPOA' during their two-day meeting in Toronto. Additionally, US officials expect the parties to announce a 'tough stance' on Russia while keeping the door open for cooperation and negotiation. The meeting of the foreign ministers of the seven largest economies, including the US Secretary of State, and ministers from Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Germany, and the UK, as well as Federica Mogherini, the EU's chief foreign policy official, began on Sunday, April 21 (local time) in Toronto, Canada. The Canadian Foreign Ministry had previously stated that Russia's 'malign influence' in the West would be the main focus of the ministers' discussions. Besides the topic of Russia, Reuters quoted an unnamed US official saying that the US would discuss 'the latest developments regarding the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers with its European partners, France, Germany, and the UK.' Boris Johnson, the UK Foreign Secretary, mentioned on the sidelines of the meetings that 'one of the things we are currently concerned about is the [nuclear agreement] and we want to know where it is heading.' Concurrently with Reuters' report, French President Emmanuel Macron told an American television network that there is no 'alternative plan' for the nuclear agreement with Iran, and the US should remain in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) until a better option is found. Macron is also scheduled to visit the US for a three-day official visit on April 23. European allies of the US have supported the nuclear agreement and the necessity of adhering to it. However, US President Donald Trump has referred to the nuclear agreement with Iran as 'the worst deal' and set a deadline last January to 'fix the flaws of the JCPOA,' which ends in three weeks. Trump has outlined four conditions for the US to continue its participation in the JCPOA: 'immediate access' for international inspectors to all Iranian sites and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's long-range missile program; as Trump stated, the long-range missile program and Iran's nuclear weapons program are 'inseparable.' European countries have aligned with the US in protests and criticisms of what they call Iran's destabilizing activities in the region, as well as ballistic missile tests, human rights violations, and other issues. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister has not ruled out the option of resuming the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities 'more rapidly' if the US withdraws from the nuclear agreement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has also stated that his government has prepared the necessary plans regarding the potential US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and has given the necessary instructions to the Atomic Energy Organization. Reports suggest that the G7 foreign ministers may adopt a 'unified and tough' stance in their final statement regarding Russia's activities and actions from Ukraine to other regions. A US official told Reuters that the tone of the statement will be 'sharp,' but 'it can be interpreted as leaving the door open.' The German Foreign Minister also called on Moscow to assist in the Syrian crisis. Russia, alongside Iran, is one of the main allies of Bashar al-Assad, the head of the Syrian central government. While Russia's and Iran's actions have faced repeated protests and criticisms from the West, Moscow and Tehran claim they intervened militarily in that country at the request of the Damascus government. The Syrian civil war has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced and continues even after seven years. This is the first time since the US, UK, and France attacked 'chemical weapons-related targets' in Syria that senior officials of the G7 are gathering together.