European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell

The European Union foreign policy chief said on the fifth anniversary of the 2015 nuclear deal that he is determined to do everything possible together with the remaining signatories and the international community to preserve the agreement.

Iran Press/Europe: “It is a historic multilateral achievement for global nuclear non-proliferation and is contributing to regional and global security,” Josep Borrell, who is also the coordinator of the deal’s Joint Commission, said in a statement published on the website of European External Action Service on Tuesday.

Iran and the six world powers concluded the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, on July 14, 2015. It was subsequently endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council under Resolution 2231.

Borrell stressed that JCPOA remains the only tool to provide the international community with the necessary assurances regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

 “It consists of nuclear-related commitments to be implemented by Iran in exchange for sanctions-lifting by the international community with a view to normalizing trade and economic relations with Iran,” he said, adding that the full implementation of the deal by all sides remains crucial.

The United States pulled out in 2018 and reimposed tough unilateral sanctions on Tehran.

Borrell noted that the remaining parties will continue to work collectively to address, within the framework of the agreement, existing concerns regarding nuclear implementation, as well as the wider impacts of the US withdrawal and reimposition of sanctions. 

Iran began to step away from its commitments as per the provisions of the deal in 2019 after the remaining signatories failed to make up for the US sanctions over the course of one year.

The UN arms ban is set to expire in October based on the terms of UNSCR 2231, but Washington is campaigning to prevent its removal as it sees arms ban is another chance to put more pressure to Tehran It has threatened to trigger the return of all UN sanctions on Tehran if its draft resolution fails to win the votes of the UN Security Council.

The United Nations Security Council arms embargo on Iran in 2006 and 2007 is supposed to be lifted on 18 October 2020, five years after the JCPOA Adoption Day.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that any new restriction imposed against Iran by the Security Council, saying it would be against the fundamental commitments made to the Iranian people in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, adding, in such a scenario, Iran’s options, as already notified to the remaining JCPOA participants, will be firm.

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