Al-Monitor - Mahmoud Sadeghi, an Iranian Reformist parliamentarian, has questioned the benefits of Iran staying in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal between Iran and five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany and the European Union, given the exit of the United States and Europe’s inability to provide the promised economic dividends under the deal.


Sadeghi presented his question, which was addressed to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in written form to the parliament’s presiding board. The parliamentarian, who is outspoken and active on social media, tweeted a picture of the question submitted. According to the document, Sadeghi began, “In May of the previous year, the pact-breaking president of the United States of America, contrary to international law, violated his [country’s] official and legal commitments and exited the nuclear deal (JCPOA), and to further pressure the Islamic Republic of Iran has day by day expanded the oppressive sanctions and imposed them on other countries.”


The document continued that while Europe has remained committed to the JCPOA, it is “procrastinating in creating a financial mechanism” to avert US sanctions. While France, Germany and the United Kingdom announced the creation of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) in January in order to facilitate trade with Iran, Iranian officials have previously stated that the mechanism has not been operationalized.


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