Zarif: Europe Cannot Always Wait for Time Regarding JCPOA

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that Europeans cannot always wait for time to turn their 'good' positions on the JCPOA into practical actions. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, August 20, after a session of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, he described the European stance on the JCPOA, announced after the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement, as 'very good.' However, he emphasized that they need to make decisions to convert these positions into practical actions and cannot always wait for time. Zarif added that Europeans have collaborated on several actions regarding the JCPOA, such as the Blocking Statute, allowing the European Investment Bank to finance, and encouraging small and medium enterprises to work with Iran. He noted that while Europeans have made good statements, they need to make decisions that have limited time and cannot always wait. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, on May 8, and in August, he reinstated the first round of suspended sanctions against Tehran. Trump cited the incompleteness of the JCPOA, its failure to cover Iran's missile program, and Tehran's destabilizing role in regional peace and stability as reasons for exiting the nuclear deal. Zarif also mentioned in a conversation with the Young Journalists Club that 'Europe is still not ready to bear costs.' He referred to Europe's actions in this regard as more of a 'statement of position' and stated that 'Europe's political will will only be able to respond from Iran when it is accompanied by executive actions.' His remarks come amid promises from European officials to continue economic relations with Iran and protect their companies from U.S. sanctions, while major European companies have been withdrawing from Iran one by one in recent months. For instance, Bijan Namdar Zangeneh, Iran's Oil Minister, stated on Tuesday that the French oil company Total, which signed the largest foreign contract with Iran after the JCPOA, has officially left the South Pars gas field. Nevertheless, Zarif described recent U.S. actions, including the formation of a 'task force' in the U.S. State Department to oversee sanctions against the Islamic Republic, as creating 'war and a psychological atmosphere.' He claimed that 'the U.S. is isolated in the world, and we should all know that they are struggling; they are bullying and using every single resource they have to compensate for their isolation; however, they will certainly be unsuccessful in this regard.'