Zarif to EU: Show Me Just One JCPOA Commitment You’ve Upheld!

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has refuted a joint statement by France, Germany, Britain and the European Union on the Islamic Republic’s latest cut to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.

“To my EU/E3 Colleagues 1. ‘Fully upheld commitments under JCPOA’ YOU? Really? Just show ONE that you’ve upheld in the last 18 months,” Zarif said in a tweet on Tuesday.

“2. Iran triggered – and exhausted – dispute resolution mechanism while you were procrastinating. We’re now using Paragraph 36 remedies. Look at my 6/11/18 letter,” he went on to say.

His harsh reaction came after the three European countries and the European Union said they were “extremely concerned” by Iran’s decision to restart nuclear activities at one of its key sites.

“The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom and the High Representative of the European Union are extremely concerned by the latest announcements that Iran is restarting uranium enrichment activities at the Fordow facility, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its November 11 report,” they said in a joint statement, AFP reported.

“We urge Iran to reverse all measures inconsistent with the JCPOA,” it added.

The three countries warned Tehran they might trigger a dispute settlement mechanism prescribed by the deal. Under the terms agreed in 2015, the move would start a 30-day deadline for the signatories to resolve the problem. If the issue remains unsolved, it could be directed to the UN Security Council and eventually trigger the “snapback” of sanctions lifted under the deal.

“We affirm our readiness to consider all mechanisms in the (nuclear deal) including the dispute resolution mechanism, to resolve the issues,” the European states said.

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