Zarif's Response to Western Proposal: We Will Not Negotiate on Missiles or Regional Issues

Iran's Foreign Minister emphasized that the Islamic Republic will not renegotiate the JCPOA and will not enter into discussions with the West regarding issues such as its missile program and regional actions. Mohammad Javad Zarif stated in a video message on Thursday, May 2, that the U.S. has been 'regularly' violating the Vienna nuclear agreement by 'obstructing' those who wanted to trade with Iran. He also mentioned that European countries intend to give 'more concessions' to the U.S. President Donald Trump 'from Iran's pocket' to appease him. Zarif noted that the topics of interest to Europe for a new agreement, including 'Iran's defense capabilities and its influence and impact in the region,' are issues that 'we all decided from the beginning of our negotiations not to include in the talks.' He stressed, 'We will neither entrust our security to others, nor will we renegotiate or add anything to the agreement that we have implemented in good faith so far.' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and other officials have repeatedly stated that Tehran will not accept any changes to the JCPOA's provisions. However, leaders from Britain, France, and Germany have recently reiterated their commitment to the JCPOA and called for a complementary agreement with Iran regarding the JCPOA. These three countries have committed to addressing other issues outside the JCPOA framework, including ballistic missiles, what should be done after the agreement ends, and 'Iran's role in destabilizing the region.' Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, also warned on Thursday, May 2, about the consequences of the JCPOA's collapse, stating that this agreement should not be 'torn apart unless we have a good alternative.' Trump has set a deadline of May 12 for 'deficiencies in the JCPOA' to be corrected; otherwise, he will not extend the suspension of sanctions on Iran based on the JCPOA. The U.S. President emphasized that if Iran resumes its nuclear program, it will face 'greater problems' than before. He has set four conditions for continued U.S. cooperation with the JCPOA, which include 'immediate access' for international inspectors to all Iranian sites and facilities, making restrictions on Iran's nuclear program permanent, guaranteeing that Iran does not approach nuclear weapons, and limiting Iran's ballistic missile program. Nevertheless, Zarif stated that the Islamic Republic will exercise 'its right' to respond to a potential U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA 'as it sees fit.' He added, 'Relying on ridiculous claims that repeat allegations from over a decade ago, which the International Atomic Energy Agency has addressed, aimed at nullifying the agreement, has not deceived anyone.' Zarif's reference may point to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks, who released documents from the secret archives of Iran's nuclear program. Netanyahu claimed that 55,000 pages of evidence from Iran's nuclear program had been obtained by Israel, indicating that Iran was seeking to build five nuclear warheads. In September 2017, the Israeli Prime Minister also urged Trump to take action, especially regarding the 'sunset clause' of the JCPOA. According to the 'sunset clause,' Iran can increase its enrichment centrifuges after ten years and is allowed to increase its stock of less enriched uranium after fifteen years. Meanwhile, Rouhani stated that the future of the JCPOA after 2025 will be determined by 'international regulations,' and Iran 'will not accept any limitations beyond its commitments.'