Iran's FM announces Japanese proposal to revive 2015 nuclear deal

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
26 Sep 2023 17:56

The Iranian foreign minister attributed the delay in progress to reviving the deal over the excessive demands of the US, the UK, France, and Germany in relation to the nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the talks in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. (AP)

Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, announced on Tuesday that Japan has presented a proposal to revive the stalled 2015 nuclear agreement involving Iran and six major nations, including the US.

Amir-Abdollahian conveyed to Kyodo News on Sunday that any Japanese initiative aligning with Iran's interests would be welcomed by Tehran, expressing support for Japan's constructive role in the revival of the nuclear deal.

"We support the constructive role of Japan in reviving the nuclear deal," the Iranian diplomat said.

While he did not disclose the specifics of the proposal, Amir-Abdollahian mentioned receiving it during his August visit to Tokyo, where he met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and then Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

The Iranian foreign minister attributed the delay in progress to the excessive demands of the US, the UK, France, and Germany in relation to the nuclear deal.

The announcement comes after the EU, France, Germany, and the UK decided to retain sanctions on Iran due to their opposition to Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed that such measures were illegal and contrary to the obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2231.

Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he had been notified by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the UK of their intention to uphold sanctions against Iran after October 18 due to Tehran's alleged non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.

The October 18 deadline was agreed upon under the JCPOA, a 2015 nuclear deal Iran had signed with the three European countries, as well as China, Russia, and the US. The deal agreed was aimed at reducing Iran's peaceful nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of unlawful sanctions imposed on the country.

But the accord began to fall apart in 2018 when then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it and began reimposing sanctions, and Iran retaliated by dropping some of its obligations under the agreement. Efforts to revive the deal have been fruitless so far with European-led talks on hold since 2022.

It is noteworthy that a couple of days ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian affirmed that Iran is prepared to engage in negotiations regarding the draft agreement for the JCPOA.