Iranian, British Diplomats Meet in Tehran

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi held talks with Director General for Political Affairs at the UK Foreign Office Richard Moore in Tehran on Thursday.

They discussed the latest developments pertaining to the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), bilateral relations, and regional issues, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

In the gathering, Araqchi urged the remaining JCPOA parties to honor their commitments as stipulated in four statements issued by the JCPOA Joint Commission following the US withdrawal from the deal.

He also called on Europe to take practical steps to secure Iran’s interests in the oil and banking sectors within the next 60 days.

Araqchi also stressed that Europe should not underestimate Tehran’s will to gradually diminish its obligations under the nuclear accord.

“Iran has shown enough restraint, but Europe has not seized the opportunities created,” the Iranian deputy minister added.

For his part, Moore, who is also Britain’s JCPOA negotiator, said his country remains committed to the nuclear deal and will try to implement the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX).

He also vowed that London will continue its efforts to meet Iran’s demands.

On May 8, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced that Tehran will stop honoring certain commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, which had already been scrapped by the US.

At a cabinet session later in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the five remaining parties to the JCPOA -Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany- have been informed of Tehran’s decision to refuse to continue honoring two commitments under the deal.

He said Iran stops selling any enriched uranium above the 300-kg limit in exchange for yellow cake and also stops selling its heavy water above the limit of 130 tons.

The president also announced that the JCPOA parties will have 60 days to come to the negotiating table and fulfill Iran’s main interests under the nuclear deal, especially regarding oil sales and banking interaction.

If Iran does not achieve the desired results after 60 days, it will take two more measures and stop observing the limit on uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent purity, he added.

The president said Iran will also make a new decision about its Arak heavy water reactor –which was planned to be renovated with the participation of the JCPOA parties- after the 60-day deadline.

Rouhani also threatened that Iran will take a “decisive measure” if the JCPOA parties would intend to send Iran’s nuclear case to the UN Security Council.

“We will not start breaching commitments and waging any war, but we will not give in to bullying, either, and will give a decisive response to any aggressor,” the president underlined.

Iran’s announcement comes a year after US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the agreement, which was signed in 2015.

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