‘Iran Not Violating Any Convention by Reducing JCPOA Commitments’

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a weekly cabinet session in Tehran on Wednesday, Vaezi said what the Europeans have claimed in connection with a reduction in Iran’s JCPOA commitments had no legal basis.

“In the four steps that have been taken (by Iran) to reduce the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) commitments, no measure has been taken in violation of the relevant conventions, and the Europeans’ claim on this issue does not have a legal basis by any means,” he added.

Asked about the EU’s threat to resort to the so-called ‘snapback mechanism’ for restoring the UN sanctions on Iran, Vaezi said, “The Europeans are seeking to provide their own public opinion with an explanation vis-à-vis the Iranian measures. So, what they have proposed about using the snapback mechanism will not take place, and they themselves are resolved to hold negotiations and reach a deal.”

The president’s chief of staff further dismissed the allegations of human rights violation in Iran, saying the West has employed human rights as a political tool to mount pressure on the others.

Denouncing the West’s double standards on human rights, Vaezi said the Western governments violate the rights of religious minorities and the coloured people and have cordial relations with certain Middle East counties which ignore the basic principles of human rights.

According to a recent report by Reuters, the three European parties to the nuclear deal said they were likely to trigger a dispute resolution process in January but would stop short of rushing to restore UN sanctions on Iran that would kill off the accord.

Six European and Western diplomats said Britain, France and Germany had agreed in principle to begin the process but they would still wait to see how significant Iran’s steps were before taking a final decision, according to the report.

The measure is also known as the trigger mechanism and its activation can lead to the return of the UN sanctions against Iran.

Diplomats said the Europeans would focus on extending the process rather than pushing towards sanctions unless Iran’s upcoming steps crossed an unacceptable threshold.

Iran’s reduction to its commitments comes in response to the US’ withdrawal from the agreement and the E3’s failure to fulfill their obligations under the JCPOA and to salvage it.