Zarif: The Continuation of the JCPOA Depends on the Full Compliance of the U.S.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated on Wednesday, January 10, that the continuation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, known as the JCPOA, depends on the full compliance of the United States with this agreement. Zarif wrote on his Twitter account: 'Today, I consulted with Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, in Moscow and I am heading to Brussels to discuss with the foreign ministers of the three European countries (Britain, France, and Germany) as well as with Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union. Everyone emphasizes that all parties must adhere to their commitments under the JCPOA. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed Iran's full compliance, but the continuation of this process depends on the full compliance of the U.S.' In this context, international media reports indicate that a meeting will be held on Thursday with the participation of the foreign ministers of Iran, Britain, France, and Germany in Brussels, during which Federica Mogherini will announce the European powers' position in support of the JCPOA. Reuters, citing diplomatic sources, reported that Iran will also be asked to cooperate with international inspectors during this meeting. An unnamed European diplomat told Reuters: 'Our goal is to send a message to Washington and say that Iran is cooperating, and it is better to stay within the framework of the nuclear agreement than to isolate Tehran.' According to IRNA, Zarif also responded to a question in Moscow regarding the potential decision of U.S. President Donald Trump on the JCPOA in the coming days, stating: 'One of Trump's policies is his unpredictability; however, he has taken this policy to a point where the U.S. is no longer trusted by its partners.' The Iranian Foreign Minister added: 'Therefore, I doubt that Trump himself knows what he will do; certainly, the Europeans do not yet know what the U.S. President will do either.' Zarif, however, stated: 'If the international community wishes to continue the JCPOA, it must stand against any U.S. actions contrary to the JCPOA.' The Trump administration must decide by January 12 whether it intends to extend the suspension of sanctions under the nuclear agreement with Iran. This extension occurs every 120 days. The U.S. President had previously extended the suspension of Iran's nuclear sanctions on September 14 of this year. The nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers, namely the U.S., Britain, France, China, and Russia, along with Germany, was reached in 2015, and according to congressional legislation, the U.S. President must report to Congress every 90 days on Iran's compliance with the JCPOA. Following the previous deadline in October, Trump refrained from certifying Iran's actions. On October 13, the U.S. President announced that his administration could not certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement with world powers and left the decision to Congress. Trump believes that Iran's continued missile activities and the Islamic Republic's regional policies 'are inconsistent with the spirit of the nuclear agreement.' He has also expressed concern regarding the 'sunset clause' in the nuclear agreement with Iran. The 'sunset clause' pertains to the lifting of restrictions after the time period of the nuclear agreement with Iran, which has raised concerns that 'Iran could achieve the capability to build nuclear weapons even before the end of the agreement.' In this context, it is reported that the U.S. government and Congress are seeking to eliminate this 'sunset clause,' which would lead to the dismantling of oversight and restrictions on Iran's nuclear program. Iranian officials have recently emphasized that the re-imposition of nuclear sanctions by the U.S. constitutes a violation of the agreement between Iran and the world powers, and Tehran will take reciprocal actions in this regard, one of which could be increasing uranium enrichment.