Fall of JCPOA to Raise Iran’s Capabilities: Diplomat

An Iranian deputy foreign minister said the country’s conditions will become much better in case the 2015 nuclear deal falls apart.

News ID: 70887

Date: 24 June 2018 - 10:42

TEHRAN (Defapress) – Addressing a conference of entrepreneurs in Tehran on Saturday, Abbas Araqchi said while efforts are underway to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after the US withdrawal from the multilateral agreement, any collapse of the deal will push Iran into better conditions compared to the pre-JCPOA era.

Iran is prepared to deal with any possible scenario, he said, adding that the Iranian president has given the necessary orders to economic and other organizations.

Underlining that the Islamic Republic’s existence does not rely on the JCPOA, Araqchi said, “We make decisions based on the country’s national interests, whether we stay in or leave the JCPOA.”

A few days earlier, Araqchi gave a vague prospect of the JCPOA, saying Tehran could leave the accord in coming weeks.

On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the JCPOA, which was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

Following the US exit, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has underlined that any decision to keep the JCPOA running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the Europeans.

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