Speaking to a Tehran-based news agency on Saturday, EU's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic, said the European Union rejected Iran’s ultimatum because “we are implementing our commitments. We are committed to the JCPOA, and we will implement the Iran nuclear deal in full coordination.”
In a joint statement from the EU high representative and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK on May 9, the EU said it has rejected Iran’s 60-day ultimatum on JCPOA, which calls on the bloc to make good on their commitments to the nuclear deal in the next two months or Tehran would start suspending some of its own.
"We reject any ultimatums and will assess Iran's compliance on the basis of Iran's performance regarding its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPoA and the NPT," the joint statement read.
The EU spokeswoman went on to add that the remaining parties to the JCPOA are studying and analyzing the agreement and their commitments to it. She stressed that the sides have voiced their commitments to the nuclear pact and want it to preserve.
“We are fully committed to the JCPOA,” she stressed, deeming the JCPOA a global achievement with a systematic and engineered structure.
“JCPOA is important to all of us…we must protect this key achievement.”
“We will continue to remain committed to the JCPOA, and we call on Iran to do the same,” she added.
Iran revealed on Wednesday countermeasures to US’ withdrawal from the nuclear deal, giving the other remaining parties to the JCPOA a 60-day ultimatum to comply with their commitments, particularly those regarding Iran’s economic interests in the banking and energy sectors, before reducing portions of its own commitments to the agreement stage by stage.
Iran says at any given time that its demands are met, it will resume complying with the suspended commitments, which have been made impossible to continue due to the US measures and sanctions, according to FM Zarif.
The decision to reduce commitments to the JCPOA comes as Washington is ramping up pressure against Iran, by re-imposing new sanctions, including restrictions on Iran's low-level uranium enrichment, and ending the sanctions waivers for Iran’s major oil clients in an attempt to drive the country’s oil exports to zero.
Iran has stressed that it has no intention to leave the JCPOA, and its decision on reducing commitments is still within the framework of the agreement.
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