Iran has not pulled out of the JCPOA: Envoy

Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi said, "How do you expect Iran who has not left the JCPOA to take the first step?"

Reiterating that the reduction of Iran's obligations to the JCPOA is within the framework of Article 36 of this agreement, he added, "According to Article 36, when a member of the JCPOA commits a clear and serious violation, Iran is given the authority not to fulfill all or some of its obligations, and we chose the second option."

Iran’s permanent ambassador to the International Organizations in Vienna Kazem Gharibabadi said that Iran has informed the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of its suspension of the country’s voluntary actions under the JCPOA from February 23, 2021.

The measure is based on the Strategic Action Plan approved by Iran’s parliament and due to the lack of commitment of other JCPOA signatories to lift sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, he added.

“In this letter, we asked the Agency to take the necessary measures as soon as possible to implement Iran's requests in order to stop various voluntary actions, including the implementation of the Additional Protocol,” he added.

After the illegitimate US exit from the JCPOA in May 2018, the three European signatories to the deal remained indifferent to making up for Iran’s losses.

Amid the Europeans’ lack of action, Iran took five steps to reduce its commitments to the deal while vowing that it will reverse the course as soon as the other parties live up to their commitments under the accord.

Recently, the Iranian parliament passed a bill, dubbed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions in early last December, setting a Feb. 21 deadline for Biden to lift the US sanctions. Otherwise, Iran will halt inspections of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and further boost uranium enrichment. 

Iran has so far resumed 20% uranium enrichment at Fordow plant in accordance with the Parliament’s legislation and has warned that in the case Washington does not remove all the anti-Iran illegitimate sanctions, it will also stop voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol, which gives IAEA inspectors unannounced visits to Iranian facilities.

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