Iran Rejects US Notion of Renegotiating JCPOA

In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi reacted to a speech by US Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ashley Ford.

“Just like some of his colleagues, he (Ford) has unfortunately based his remarks on his pipe dreams, and he would definitely find the inconsistencies and flaws of his futile and groundless remarks if he just took another look at his speech,” Qassemi added, according to Foreign Ministry’s website.

He then referred to the US as the biggest violator of international commitments, saying, “Breaching and disobeying the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 is a clear instance of the behaviors of an unruly and rogue government.”

Based on the UNSC Resolution 2231, the international community considers the JCPOA as a deal whose provisions must be respected by all countries and related parties, the spokesman added.

“In particular the P5+1 group of countries (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), as major parties to the deal, should have remained committed to their obligations, but it was the delinquent and lawbreaking US which… unilaterally and illegally withdrew from the accord without any reason and evidence, and insisted on refusing to implement its international commitments,” Qassemi stated.

The US withdrawal came as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly confirmed Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA in its reports, he added.

“The current US administration’s disobedience, unruliness, and grudge against the JCPOA have not stopped even after its withdrawal from the deal, and Washington is now threatening others who want to implement the deal,” the Iranian diplomat deplored.

“The country, in violation of all legal and international norms and with a rare and very dangerous approach, is either punishing the countries that have remained committed to the UNSC Resolution 2231, or threatening to punish, sanction, and ban them by sending various delegations,” he added.

Qassemi said the JCPOA has made a considerable contribution to maintaining regional and international peace and security. “Any violation of the deal and the UNSC Resolution is a destabilizing move that destructs and endangers international and regional peace and security.”

“The country (US) must be held accountable for the consequences of undermining the deal,” he added.

The US has practically shown it is not bound by its commitments or by international norms and adopts double-standard approaches to all issues, Qassemi said, adding that “the remarks made by this American official (Ford) and other US statesmen regarding the JCPOA and Iran’s missile program have become totally pointless for us.”

“Talking of renegotiating the deal is just testing what has already been tested,” he went on to say, calling on the lawbreaking US government to respect international laws and live up to its international commitments.

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