BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 12. Iran does not accept an interim agreement with the US and Western countries regarding its nuclear program, or negotiations regarding new formats to replace the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Spokesman of Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Kanaani said at a press conference in Tehran on June 12, Trend reports.
The spokesman noted that the spread of news about the interim agreement on Iran's nuclear program may be aimed by some parties to undermine the current process of negotiations for political purposes.
Kanaani added that the core of Iran's discussions on its nuclear program is the JCPOA, and there is no new framework for it.
“A few weeks ago, information exchange between Iran and the US was carried out with the support of the Sultanate of Oman and the officials of this country in order to accelerate the discussions for the purpose of lifting sanctions. At present, the exchange of information continues,” he said.
Kanaani emphasized that Iran welcomes Oman's initiative and used its potential as a friendly country.
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.
On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany), and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018.
Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.
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