E3’s Use of JCPOA Dispute Mechanism ‘Wrong Move in Wrong Time’: Iran

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi has denounced a decision made by the three European parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to trigger the dispute mechanism in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

In a meeting with Croatia’s ambassador to Tehran, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Araqchi slammed the three European parties’ resort to the dispute resolution mechanism under Article 36 of the JCPOA as a wrong decision at the wrong time.

Iran has already activated and finished the process of the mechanism, he noted, adding, “The five steps taken by Iran to reduce its (JCPOA) commitments have resulted from the activation of this mechanism, and it is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s right to reduce its commitments proportional to the other JCPOA parties’ failure to honour their commitments.”

While Iran has already gone through the Article 36 of the JCPOA, a similar measure by the three European countries not only reveals a passive stance, but basically lacks authenticity on the legal and political grounds and could not be approved, Araqchi added.

The Iranian deputy minister also expressed surprise at the equivocal stance taken by the High Representative of the European Union, who he said must play an evenhanded role as the coordinator of the JCPOA issues, and strongly criticized the EU High Representative for his discriminatory stance toward a letter by the E3 and the multiple letters from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif over the past years.

“We are still committed to the JCPOA, and if the European parties honor their JCPOA commitments, all of the Iranian measures will be reversible,” Araqchi added.

He further expressed skepticism about the efficiency of the INSTEX, saying the fact that such mechanism has not still become operational is a clear testimony to the EU3’s failure to honor their commitments.

For his part, Croatian ambassador Drago Stambuk said his country and the European Union are ready to do whatever necessary to reduce tensions in the region, and expressed hope that further interaction between various sides would help calm prevail in the region.

The Croatian envoy also emphasized that he will convey Iran’s concerns to the relevant authorities in the European Union.

Croatia has assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2020, for a six-month period.

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