With reduction in Irans obligations and rise of tensions, Brussels leaders have resumed their rescue efforts to save JCPOA to get rid of the consequences of its annihilation.
On Monday, May 13, Brussels, the Belgian capital hosted European Troika Foreign Ministers to prevent the collapse of the nuclear deal that they had negotiated for more than a decade.
It seems that the meeting of the German, French and British foreign ministers with EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini has been successful, so that a promising space, as well as a strong determination after the conclusion of the meeting can be seen. The 'full' commitment of Europe to the launch and implementation of INSTEX, the financial channel of Iran and Europe, was one of the most important aspects of these talks.
At the end of the meeting, Mogherini referred to the necessity of EUs adherence and emphasized that 'the European Union and all its members are determined to fully implement the nuclear deal with Iran'.
The EU foreign policy chief, pointed to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the only institution to judge Iran's commitment about JCPOA that in her view, this institution has confirmed Tehran's adherence to the nuclear deal.
Mogherinis reference is to the 14 quarterly reports of the Director General of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, which commenced on January 15, 2015, and has since reported to the IAEA Board of Governors and the UN Security Council on every three month on Iran's nuclear activities; reports that neutralized the conspiracy and plans of the enemies of Iran, such as the Zionist regime and the United States.
The good news that came to light after the Brussels summit in various media outlets was linked to a part of Mogherini's remark that 'The first financial transaction of the INSTEX channel will take place over the next few weeks,'; a mechanism that has been changed several times which has repeatedly been repeated in word but has not reached the operational phase. Observers, however, believe that in the current state of tensions in the Persian Gulf, especially between Iran and the United States, the chance to make INSTEX operational is more than other times.
Not only Mogherini and the foreign ministers of the three European countries that voluntarily defend the implementation of the European financial mechanism, but other officials of these countries are also seeking to operationalize this mechanism, like the German government spokeswoman Stephan Siebert, who at a press conference on Monday underlined his governments strive to save the JCPOA and find way to trade with Iran, and emphasized that, 'with the cooperation of our three European partners, we are seeking the creation of a legal mechanism for trade through the creation of a channel of payment with the Islamic Republic of Iran.'
It is now undeniable that Europeans resurgence endeavors to save the JCPOA, are the outcome of Iran's recent countermeasures. On Wednesday May 8 concurrent with the first anniversary of the US withdrawal of the JCPOA, the Supreme National Security Council took the first step in responding to the unaccountability of the other side, and in order to protect the security and national interests of the people of Iran and to apply the Islamic Republic's laws, issued the halt of some of Irans commitments in the agreement.
In the statement of this council, clauses 26 and 36 of the JCPOA were mentioned which allowed Iran to suspend all or part of the fulfillment of obligations if the parties did not comply with their obligations.
Tehran's decision to reduce its volume of commitments, especially on heavy water and uranium enrichment, was adopted after the president of the United States, Donald Trump, refrained from extending the exemption of surplus heavy water transfer to Oman and exchanging enriched uranium with a yellow cake.
In addition to relieving the extent of Irans partly or full obligations, the Supreme National Security Council gave group 4+1 a 60 - day deadline to adhere to its commitments in the JCPOA, especially in banking and oil fields.
It was in this regard that on Tuesday the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi said Iran at least waited one year to see what the European countries reaction is to the withdrawal of the US from JCPOA. They made a lot of promises during this time, but the practice and especially about cases such as the SPV and INSTEX financial mechanism no determination has been seen on the part of Europeans.
European countries have announced the main reason for their frustration in implementation of the JCPOA, as government change in the US and White House pressures on other international players; threats that even put the European Union in a tight corner.
One of the reasons for Mogherinis cold welcome of Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State is also linked to the same attitude; an unexpected visit followed by Pompeos hasty visit to Brussels, and the American Secretary of State postponed the trip to Moscow and meeting with officials the Kremlin for one day and headed for Belgium to talk about the JCPOA and latest developments in the region.
In recent days, events such as the deployment of US warship and bombers to the Persian Gulf and the blast of several merchant ships in the UAE's Fujairah port have scared Europe. In these days, when tensions have escalated between Iran and the United States in the Persian Gulf, Brussels is once again thinking of the outcomes of new crisis in the region, which could threaten the security of the Green Continent. Hence, collectively, they trying to save the JCPOA, and have called for Tehran and Washington to show restraint.
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