Zarif: JCPOA not facing a serious threat
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, Jan 24, IRNA -- Foreign Minister, Mohammad-Javad Zarif, says one of the major achievements of the landmark nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is that it has tranquilized international atomshphere in Iran's favor.
'The JCPOA is not facing a serious threath, if we try to preserve it ourselves,' said the foreign minister, while addressing the 22nd meeting of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture on Tuesday.
Referring to his ministry's recent report to Majlis (Parliament) on the one-year anniversary of the JCPOA implementation (January 16), Zarif said the statistics mentioned in that report have clearly indicated that after beginning of sanctions against Iran oil industry, oil price had fallen down with no increase.
When the US imposed its oil sanctions against Iran, it compelled other states to reduce their oil purchase from Iran by 20 percent every six months, Zarif said, noting that the US Department of Energy was also missioned to report to the country's lawmakers that sanctions would not lead to any rise in the oil price.
Therefore, Zarif said, '…, they (the US officials) imposed sanctions on Iran with well-calculated planning.'
Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif said sound implementation of the JCPOA led to removal of related economic sanctions.
He said under pretext of the country's nuclear activities, Iran's dossier had been referred to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and sanctions against Iran were hence further severed.
In fact, those sanctions had nothing to do with the JCPOA but had created an international atmosphere against the country, Zarif said.
'Sanctions are a concern and atmosphere more than being regulation, indicating that the other party is more concerned about its relations with you as well as prospects of relations with Iran,' Zarif said.
The JCPOA was successful in easing the world's psychological atmosphere in connection with Iran, said Zarif, adding that due to the same reason the ill-wishers did their best even before ratification of the JCPOA or even now to prevent establishment of peace.
'When US Senator Tom Cotton wrote a letter to Iranian officials asking them not to trust President Obama, he did not feel pity for us but wanted to give a message to the world that the psychological atmosphere persisted despite the JCPOA; and if we see that the US lawmakers take more than 50 bills to the Congress or the Senate, irrespective of the fact that they are executable or legitimate, this is because they attempted to create the atmosphere that maintaining ties with Iran is still as dangerous and costly as before,' he said.
Zarif said there is no longer any mention of the unpleasant comment referring to the political cost of work with Iran. They rather claim that a legal impediment is at work, he added.
He noted that it is claimed that in case of establishing ties with Iran, their prestige will be spoiled and all the attempts are concentrated on creating an atmosphere of concern.
'Our duty as the servants of the Islamic establishment and the country's entrepreneurs is that the reality of the JCPOA has put an end to such an atmosphere; so, let's not be influenced by the propaganda.'
The minister said despite those who believe he is ashamed of the JCPOA, he is proud of the deal.
He said that it is of no use for the world or any other person to dispute over scoring the JCPOA by 100 or five.
Noting that the JCPOA was a deal in which both sides reached agreement on some points, he said the US has accepted even more points.
'Some in the US believed and do still believe that Iran should not have even a single centrifuge and continued believing to the last day that Iran should not have a heavy water reactor, claiming that the sanctions are the biggest asset for the US. The US has lost all these.'
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