BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 19
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
Neither side has fulfilled its obligations in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5 + 1 group, Top Adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution for International Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati told Tasnim news agency, Trend reports.
The official said that other countries simply made promises to Iran and participated directly or indirectly in US sanctions against Iran.
Velayati added that Iran has no acceptable trade and financial relations with European countries.
"Because on the one hand, the US, and on the other hand, the European countries that are members of the nuclear agreement, have violated the provisions of the JCPOA. The agreement, which is practically violated is invalid," he said.
In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year.
To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.
On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.
Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA on Sept.5.
On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.
The US imposed new sanctions on Iran in November 2018. Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals.