Ex-FM Zarif: JCPOA shielded Iran from huge repercussions

Zarif, who was the lead negotiator when the landmark agreement was signed, said the removal of missiles and arms sanctions was a major relief for Iran after years of negotiations and tensions, according to ISNA news agency.

Washington unilaterally stepped out of the JCPOA in 2018 under former president Donald Trump and Iran has been complaining that the remaining Western parties to JCPOA, France, Britain, and Germany, failed to fulfill their commitments under the deal deemed “inefficient” by many Iranians from the start.

The former Iranian foreign minister said the revival of the deal that removed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran in return for Iran’s moratorium on certain nuclear activities, is tenuous but possible.

The former top diplomat said Europe cannot afford triggering the so-called snapback provision in the nuclear deal aimed at re-imposing all UN sanctions against Iran, saying the new adventurism will draw negative international reaction amid the ongoing disasters in the world.

Zarif also referred to the US failure in pushing forward its motions at the UN Security Council and the growing opposition to Washington’s policies in the international arena, saying “Washington had never been so disgraced.”

The remarks by the former minister come days after the UNSC officially declared on October 18 the termination of the missile-related sanctions on Iran.