Zarif: Domestic Critics Had Unrealistic Expectations from the JCPOA

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated in a detailed interview with ISNA that the nuclear agreement with world powers merely "removed the plaster from Iran's broken leg" in the face of Western sanctions, and that critics had unrealistic expectations from the JCPOA, which were politically motivated. In the interview published on Friday, September 3, Zarif mentioned that the Vienna nuclear agreement "removed the plaster from Iran's broken leg" against the sanctions imposed by Western countries and the UN, but that if Iran wants to become a champion in its economy and financial and banking interactions, it depends on many other factors. Zarif emphasized that critics of the Vienna nuclear agreement and some others had unrealistic expectations from the very beginning of its implementation, which he described as "partly political expectations." He noted that during the twelfth government, an economic deputy was established in the Iranian Foreign Ministry to utilize the post-Vienna agreement atmosphere, stating that the JCPOA gave meaning to the establishment of the economic deputy. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has recently created an economic deputy by restructuring itself. Officials of Hassan Rouhani's government expressed hope that the country's economic conditions would improve after the Vienna nuclear agreement, while also stating that some of the country's economic problems are structural. The U.S. Secretary of State and his counterparts from Britain, Germany, France, along with the EU's foreign policy chief, on May 30, 2016, issued a statement urging banks and traders not to overlook legal investment opportunities in Iran. These countries also expressed readiness to address any doubts in this regard. Previously, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, had repeatedly stated that the problems of Iranian banks and insurance companies for economic cooperation with foreign countries had been "resolved" and that there was "no deadlock" in this regard, but there are issues, some of which are related to foreign countries and some due to the outdated nature of Iranian banks. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also emphasized in its reports to the Parliament regarding the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement that one of the most significant obstacles to benefiting from this agreement is the continuation of so-called "primary sanctions" imposed by the United States in the 1980s and 1990s related to issues such as human rights, terrorism, and money laundering against the Islamic Republic. However, the Trump administration insists that Iran's missile program and the activities of the Quds Force violate the spirit of the nuclear agreement, as Iran is supposed to participate in creating peace and stability in the region and globally based on this agreement. On August 5, the Associated Press reported, citing senior U.S. officials, that President Donald Trump was seeking to negotiate a new agreement with European countries that would prevent the development of Iran's nuclear program even after the expiration of the JCPOA. According to this report, the U.S. President is also trying to conduct inspections of Iran's "suspicious" military sites. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson described this issue as an "unfulfilled dream" and a "joke," while Ali Akbar Velayati, the international affairs advisor to the Supreme Leader, labeled these reports as "nonsense and exaggeration." Regarding the visit of U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley to Vienna, Zarif stated that "any action by the United States to pressure the Agency is a violation of the JCPOA and the independence of the Agency." He also assessed this visit as a "violation of the provisions" of the JCPOA in an open letter to Yukiya Amano and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief. In this regard, the permanent mission of the Islamic Republic to the International Atomic Energy Agency also considered this visit to be "in conflict with the JCPOA and the role of the Agency." Haley's meeting with Amano took place on Wednesday in Vienna, during which she emphasized the need for accurate verification of Iran's nuclear programs and the implementation of its commitments under the nuclear agreement. Haley's office released a report from this meeting stating that access to Iranian facilities is essential for implementing the nuclear agreement. She mentioned that she came to Vienna with many questions and received good answers, but many doubts and concerns remain. Zarif also stated in this interview that "the JCPOA is not Iran's only choice," and that the options for U.S. officials are "not infinite, and Iran's choices are not limited." He reiterated that it must be prevented that "the JCPOA continues at Iran's expense" or that the U.S. "destroys it at Iran's expense." Zarif added, "If the JCPOA continues at our expense, it means that it continues without us benefiting from the advantages of the JCPOA, and if they destroy the JCPOA at our expense, it means that they will create a consensus against Iran in the international community again." He also stated that the Islamic Republic will respond appropriately to what he called "the U.S. breach of commitments" without "playing on their field." However, regarding Iran's actions against the U.S., he only referred to complaints to the Joint Commission of the JCPOA. On Tuesday, August 8, he also stated that the U.S. cannot impose the "cost of stopping" the Vienna nuclear agreement on the Islamic Republic and that if U.S. officials want to "stop this agreement," they must "pay the cost." Zarif's statements come as, according to Reuters, Iran, despite its public protests against new U.S. sanctions, did not formally object to the implementation of the nuclear agreement at the recent Joint Commission meeting.