Iran Rejects Potential US-Europe Deal on Fate of JCPOA

A senior Iranian official says Tehran will not be bound by a possible agreement between the US and Europe on the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, amid efforts by European powers seemingly aimed at protecting the two-year accord from US President Donald Trump.

“In our view, any agreement between Europe and the US over the future of JCPOA and the fate of Iran’s nuclear program after the end of time-bound restrictions are invalid and worthless,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said on Wednesday.

The official made the statement while addressing the 9th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, according to a report by the Persian-language Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).

Trump, who calls the 2015 nuclear accord one of the worst deals ever negotiated, has threatened that he will return US sanctions on Iran unless what he calls “flaws” in the accord are fixed by Britain, France and Germany.

Shamkhani’s warning comes a couple of weeks before a May 12 deadline set by Trump to renew the waivers for US sanctions on Iran that were lifted under the accord.

The refusal of the US to keep the sanctions frozen will mean Washington is longer bound by the pact.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is in Washington, trying to convince Trump not to tear up the accord.

The deal was signed by Iran, the US and five other world powers to put confidence-building, temporary curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Shamkhani said the Trump administration, who is undermining basic principles of international law, will never see its dreams regarding Iran came true.

“Engaging in new talks over extension of restrictions on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program will destroy the JCPOA, as the end of restrictions and normalization of Iran’s nuclear program was a major commitment [taken by the other side] under the international accord,” he said.

The Sochi security forum is attended by secretaries of national security councils, government ministers, aides to presidents and prime ministers in charge of security matters.

On the sidelines of the conference, Shamkhani will discuss bilateral and multilateral issues in talks with officials from other countries.

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