In response to Britain, France, Germany, and the EU’s continued failure to fulfill their mandated JCPOA obligations, Iranian President Rouhani said his government will increase its nuclear R & D beginning September 6.
It’s the third rollback of its voluntary commitments, permitted by JCPOA Articles 26 and 36, Rouhani saying:
“We took the first step in reducing our commitments, and gave the P4+1 a two-month deadline. Then we went ahead with the second phase, giving them another two-month deadline.”
“In the four-month period, we held negotiations with the P4+1, including the European Union and the three European countries in particular.”
Beginning Friday,
“the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) will be obliged to immediately start research and development on whatever technical needs the country has, and set aside all R&D commitments stipulated in the JCPOA.”
“R&D on various new centrifuges and whatever the country may need for uranium enrichment” will be pursued.
“A major part of negotiations with the P5+1 (Russia, China, the US, the UK, France, and Germany) was focused on the R&D timing… All the R&D timings in the JCPOA to which we committed ourselves will be fully lifted as of Friday.”
“We will carry out whatever we need technically…under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and within a peaceful framework.”
Steps taken by Iran are reversible if Europe fulfills its obligations, what it failed to do since the Trump regime’s illegal May 2018 JCPOA pullout — a hostile act, wanting the landmark nuclear deal killed.
It’s doomed if Europe remains in noncompliance — saying one thing to Iran while observing unlawful US “maximum pressure” tactics, acting as its vassal.
On Tuesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said the following:
“Our return to the full implementation of the nuclear accord is subject to the receipt of $15 billion over a four-month period. Otherwise the process of reducing Iran’s commitments will continue,” adding:
“Iran has repeatedly stated that it will return to the full implementation of the JCPOA only when it can freely sell its oil and fully access its oil revenues.”
French President Macron proposed offering Iran a $15 billion credit line to facilitate its oil sales.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said the idea is “to exchange a credit line guaranteed by oil in return for (Iran reversing its voluntary JCPOA pullback), security in the Gulf, and the opening of negotiations on regional security and a post-2025 (nuclear program).”
The idea depends on Trump regime approval, he added, what’s highly unlikely.
On Wednesday, the Financial Times (FT) said
“US officials have played down the idea of Washington backing a French proposal to give Iran a $15bn credit line, as the (Trump regime) ramps up its ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Tehran.”
On the same day, White House envoy for regime change in Iran Brian Hook said the following:
“We did sanctions yesterday. We did sanctions Friday. We did sanctions today. There will be more sanctions coming,” adding:
“We can’t make it any more clear that we are committed to this campaign of maximum pressure, and we are not looking to grant any exceptions or waivers.”
Rouhani told Macron that
“Europe has to either buy oil from Iran or provide Iran with the equivalent of selling oil as a credit line guaranteed by Iran’s oil revenues, which in some sense means a pre-sale of oil.”
Major differences remain between Iran’s legitimate rights and European policies toward the country, Rouhani added.
If Britain, France, Germany, and the EU were serious about saving the JCPOA, they’d have fulfilled their mandatory obligations long ago.
Failure to act responsibly shows they side with the Trump regime against Iran — while pretending otherwise.
Like the White House, they can never be trusted — operating more as US colonies than sovereign independent countries, partnering with hostile US actions against all nations on its target list for regime change.
A Final Comment
According to the FT, Brian Hook tried to bribe Iran’s Adrian Darya 1 super-tanker captain Akhilesh Kumar, saying:
He offered Kumar millions of dollars.
“With this money you can have any life you wish and be well-off in old age.”
“If you choose not to take this easy path, life will be much harder for you.”
Kumar ignored him. Trump’s Treasury Department sanctioned him. Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif slammed the attempted bribe, tweeting:
“US has told the captain of Iranian oil tanker that deliver us Iran’s oil and receive several million dollars or be sanctioned yourself.”
“This sounds very similar to the Oval Office invitation I received a few weeks ago.”
“(H)aving failed at piracy, the (Trump regime) resorted to blackmailing.”
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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Featured image is from Raialyoum
