Iran rejects the idea of a “working group” to change the nuclear deal

Some reports published recently indicate that the western parties of Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) has started the process of its revision. While rejecting the very idea of revising the landmark deal, Iran has declared that it’s not aware of the existence of such a plan by the western powers.

کد خبر: ۷۷۱۵۹۹

تاریخ: ۱۶ بهمن ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۸:۱۸

Tabnak – Some reports published recently indicate that the western parties of Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) has started the process of its revision. While rejecting the very idea of revising the landmark deal, Iran has declared that it’s not aware of the existence of such a plan by the western powers.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it has not been notified about a US-European working group on a so-called ‘side-agreement’ to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying such an American dream is not going to come true.

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Iran has not received any formal notification from the European Union about a JCPOA working group.

“I believe that the US is once again expressing its dreams from the mouth of others, and such a dream is not going to come true …,” the spokesperson added. “We have no information about such a working group,” Qassemi said.

His comments came after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a working group comprising American and European officials will soon begin to develop a “side agreement” to the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

“I think there’s a common view among the E3, certainly, that there are some areas of the JCPOA, or some areas of Iran’s behavior, that should be addressed,” Tillerson said in London on January 22.

In the same vein, a senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that the United States is making various efforts to encourage European countries to express their opposition to the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement, urging Europe's vigilance in the face of such efforts.

The second vice speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Motahhari, made the comments on Sunday in an exclusive interview with IRNA amid the US lobbying efforts against Iran's peaceful missile activities.

Motahhari rejected the US claims and said, "The JCPOA has nothing to do with the strengthening of Iran's defense system…Europeans must be vigilant not to be deceived by the US.” The Iranian legislator emphasized that the Islamic Republic has no obligation to "stop its missile activities" and said the US is making futile efforts in this regard.

Earlier in January, US President Donald Trump waived a series of sanctions against Iran as required under the JCPOA, but warned the European allies and the US Congress that it will be the last such waiver he signs if they fail to agree to radical changes to the nuclear deal.

Washington has repeatedly claimed that Iran’s missile program is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA.