Iran said it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear program because of the expiration of a landmark 10-year agreement with world powers, but Tehran reiterated its commitment to "commitment to diplomacy."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday (date of the agreement expires) stating that “from now on (the 2015 agreement) all provisions, including restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and related mechanisms, are deemed terminated.”
Agreement history: from achievement to stagnation
The agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached between Iran and the French, German, Russian, British and American, and provided for the lifting of international sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.
But Washington unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 during President Trump's first term and reinstated sanctions. Tehran then began strengthening its nuclear program.
Negotiations to resume the deal have so far failed, with Britain, Germany and France launching the so-called "rapid recovery" process in August, leading to the UN reimposed sanctions.
All parties stated: Agreement is "officially buried" and negotiation deadlock
Arms Control Association expert Kelsey Davenport told AFP: “The termination day is relatively meaningless because of the ‘rapid rebound.’” International Crisis Organization’s Iranian project director Ali Waaz told AFP that although the nuclear deal has been “ineffable” for years, this rapid recovery has “officially buried” the agreement, “whose tragic fate continues to shadow the future.”
Western nations and Israel have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, but Tehran denies it. The U.S. intelligence agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say they have found no evidence this year that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.
"Given Iran's history with President Trump, Iran remains skeptical about the utility of engaging with the United States, while Washington is still looking to reach a deal that maximizes," Vaz told AFP.
On Monday, Trump said he wanted a peace deal with Iran, but stressed the ball was in Tehran's hands. Tehran has repeatedly said it remains willing to engage in diplomatic talks with the United States as long as Washington guarantees it will not take military action in any potential talks.
Follow-up dynamics: Europe to resume talks over Iran’s cold
In June this year, the United States launched a 12-day war against Iran in conjunction with Israel, which not only attacked Iranian nuclear facilities, but also killed more than 1,000 Iranians, including hundreds of civilians, and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Kazakhstan’s President Masoud Peskian was angry at the IAEA’s failure to condemn the attacks and accused the agency of “double standards,” signing a law in early July suspending all cooperation with the UN nuclear supervisory agency and requiring inspectors to leave the country.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been unable to verify Iran's nuclear reserves since the beginning of the war in Iran, which was a "matter of serious concern." The three major European countries announced last week that they would seek to restart negotiations to reach a "comprehensive, lasting and verifiable agreement."
Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Aragchi, said in an interview last week that Tehran "sees no reason to negotiate with Europe" given Europe's launch of a "rapid recovery" mechanism.
#Hot topics on current affairs ###Hot topics ##Military ##Iran #International #Hot topics #