European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini (left); Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif (center) and political deputy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran Abbas Araghchi take part in a Comprehensive Plan of Action ministerial meeting on the Iran nuclear deal on July 6, 2018 in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Hans Punz | AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says his country is in a wait-and-see mode after the remaining cosigners of the nuclear accord theoretically agreed to keep the deal in place without the United States.
"We wait to see whether the other sides to the deal would implement the points we discussed and agreed upon today which have been included in the statement of the joint commission," Zarif told Iran's state-run IRNA news agency on Saturday.
European, Russian, Chinese and Iranian cosigners of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed to keep the nuclear deal in place on Friday after a week of meetings, but the commitments were prefaced by ambiguous language.
"In our opinion, it was neither enough nor accurate. Some points that were missed in the executive package, were raised today in the statement and the negotiating parties are politically and legally obliged to put into practice the remaining points in the executive package," added Zarif.
Several European-based conglomerates have already halted ties with the Islamic Republic due to looming sanctions by the United States after it pulled out of the accord in May.
Still Zarif remained upbeat: "Today we are sure that the rest of the world is not standing by the US in exerting pressure on Iran. Rather they have stood up to the United States."
"We wait to see whether the other sides to the deal would implement the points we discussed and agreed upon today which have been included in the statement of the joint commission," Zarif told Iran's state-run IRNA news agency on Saturday.
European, Russian, Chinese and Iranian cosigners of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed to keep the nuclear deal in place on Friday after a week of meetings, but the commitments were prefaced by ambiguous language.
"In our opinion, it was neither enough nor accurate. Some points that were missed in the executive package, were raised today in the statement and the negotiating parties are politically and legally obliged to put into practice the remaining points in the executive package," added Zarif.
The nuclear accord remains in place after negotiations led by Zarif and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had complained about a lack of "actionable commitments" by the Joint Commission's statement read by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.
Several European-based conglomerates have already halted ties with the Islamic Republic due to looming sanctions by the United States after it pulled out of the accord in May.
Still Zarif remained upbeat: "Today we are sure that the rest of the world is not standing by the US in exerting pressure on Iran. Rather they have stood up to the United States."
On Twitter, Zarif argued that the continuation of the JCPOA isolates the United States.
Highlights of #JCPOA meeting today: 1. All committed to ensure Iran's benefits: US isolated; 2. Moving in right direction on concrete steps for timely implementation of commitments; 3. Iran reasserted its rights to respond to US violations if remedial measures prove insufficient. pic.twitter.com/ZqwJJ5IOLO
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 6, 2018
It remains to be seen how European countries and their firms will practically react to the fallout and whether Iran will need to develop closer relations with Russia and China.
"In the first phase, we will give them the chance to put their commitments into practice. Today they explained for us how they will translate them into action…We are also considering our own actions so that if they fail to put their commitments into practice, we will take action," added Zarif.
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