BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 28. There is no hope of restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program, Former Iranian ambassador to the UK, Jalal Sadatian, Trend reports.
Sadatian pointed out that current regional dynamics, coupled with the stances of European nations and the US on the accord, indicate that attempts to rejuvenate the JCPOA have stalled. This has led to increased complexity surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
According to him, in the interim, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) is actively engaging with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to mitigate any potential escalation of its position on Iran. These discussions involve IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
Furthermore, Sadatian noted that, according to IAEA reports, there are claims of Iran achieving peak uranium enrichment levels. Conversely, there are assertions that Iran’s enrichment activities are not aimed at developing nuclear weapons but rather to strengthen its position in diplomatic negotiations.
On January 16, 2016, the JCPOA came into force between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
However, on May 8, 2018, the US withdrew 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 on Iran starting from November 2018.
Since then, the sanctions have impacted Iran’s oil exports and more than 700 banks, firms, and individuals. The sanctions have led to the freezing of Iranian assets overseas.
The Iranian side demands that the US rejoin the JCPOA and that other members comply with the terms of the deal, and in that case it declares that it will abide by all the obligations specified in the deal.
In late 2020, the Iranian parliament adopted a strategic plan to counter the sanctions, citing the non-fulfillment of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran.
According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran stopped the implementation of additional measures and an additional protocol included in the nuclear deal. As a consequence, the monitoring mechanism of the IAEA was reduced by 20–30 percent.
Recent reports have indicated that, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has significantly expanded its enriched uranium reserves. The current figures suggest that the stockpile is now 27 times larger than the limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). As per the IAEA’s report dated September 4, 2023, there has been an addition of approximately 6.7 kilograms, bringing the total amount of 60 percent enriched uranium to roughly 128 kilograms.
---
Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur