Iran, EU Reiterate Resolve to Abide by Nuclear Deal Despite US Withdrawal

Local Editor

Iran and the European Union stressed again their resolve to keep the 2015 nuclear deal alive despite the unilateral US withdrawal from the international accord.

In a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran [AEOI] Ali Akbar Salehi and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, agreed on the need for staying committed to the agreement, according to a press release by the European External Action Service [EEAS].

“They re-affirmed their commitment to the continued full and effective implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] and took stock of the latest developments in this regard,” according to the press release.

“They equally expressed their determination to preserve the nuclear agreement as a matter of respecting international agreements and a key pillar for the European and regional security,” it added.

During the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the third EU-Iran High-level Seminar on International Nuclear Cooperation, Mogherini pointed to the continued cooperation between Brussels and Tehran concerning civil nuclear activities.

Back in May, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA despite objections from the other signatories to the nuclear deal.

Since then, Washington has imposed “toughest ever” sanctions against Iran. It has also warned of severe penalties for the companies that evade the bans and engage in business with Iran.

The Trump administration had further vowed to reduce Tehran’s oil revenue to zero, but it went back on its pledge and gave waivers to almost all major customers of the country.

However, the European parties to the JCPOA vowed all-out efforts to save the agreement and protect their firms in the face of American bans.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team