Velayati: If the US Exits the JCPOA, Iran Will Also Withdraw

Ali Akbar Velayati, the international affairs advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated that if the United States withdraws from the JCPOA, Iran will not remain in this agreement either. In response to the reactions of Iranian officials regarding the potential US exit from the JCPOA, Velayati said on Thursday, May 2, that 'Iran is committed to the JCPOA without any flaws, but if the US retreats from the JCPOA, we will not stay either.' The advisor emphasized that Iran 'accepts the JCPOA as it was prepared, and any alteration to the JCPOA will not be acceptable.' Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is set to announce his stance on the JCPOA on May 12. The US President has previously stated that he does not accept the JCPOA in its current form. He has set four conditions for the US to continue its participation in the JCPOA, which include 'immediate access' for international inspectors to all Iranian locations and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, ensuring that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's ballistic missile program. The US President emphasized that if Iran resumes its nuclear program, it will face 'greater problems' than before. However, in recent days, President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Hamid Baidi-Nejad, a member of the negotiating team and Iran's ambassador to London, and Abbas Araghchi, Deputy Foreign Minister, have all stressed that Tehran will not accept changes to the JCPOA's provisions. Velayati, referring to the diplomatic efforts of European leaders to convince the US to maintain the JCPOA, stated, 'Even if countries aligned with the US, especially Europeans, want to revise the JCPOA with the Americans to keep it, one of our options is certainly to withdraw from the JCPOA.' The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany, three European powers, have recently welcomed further discussions to create changes in the JCPOA during their meetings with US officials while emphasizing the preservation of the JCPOA. Nevertheless, Hassan Rouhani, during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Washington, questioned the actions of some European countries to change the JCPOA. Meanwhile, Hamid Baidi-Nejad, a member of the nuclear negotiating team and Iran's ambassador to London, stated in an interview with Christiane Amanpour from CNN that if the US exits the JCPOA, one of Iran's options is to refer to the 'dispute resolution mechanism' of the JCPOA, and another option is 'withdrawal' from the JCPOA. Baidi-Nejad assessed the option of withdrawing from the JCPOA as 'very real and realistic.' In this context, the UN Secretary-General warned about the collapse of the JCPOA, emphasizing the US President and Secretary of State's focus on 'countering Iran's hostile actions.' China once again emphasized the importance of maintaining the nuclear agreement with Iran.