“E3’s paralysis in fulfilling their obligations without US permission has been clear since May 2018,” Zarif said in a tweet on Tuesday, referring to Europe’s failure to fulfil its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal after US President Donald Trump left it last year.
“Solution to this deficiency: mustering will to forge independent path—not parroting absurd US claims & requests INCONSISTENT with JCPOA,” he added, referring to the E3’s echoing of US claim that Iran was behind the recent attack on Aramco refineries.
“No new deal before compliance with current one,” Zarif stressed.
The call for a new deal was earlier raised by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who talked of a new “Trump deal” with Iran after attacking the existing nuclear pact.
He said the current agreement was a “bad deal” with “many defects” and argued US Trump was the “one guy” who could renegotiate it.
Johnson made the comments at the UN General Assembly amid a ratcheting up of tensions in the Middle East.
Trump put the current Iran nuclear deal at risk when he pulled the US out last year. Other nations have pledged to keep the pact going, but relations have been put under strain.
