Members of the Joint Committee on the Joint Comprehensive Joint Action Plan (JCPOA) (Germany, France, United Kingdom, China, Russia and Iran) renewed, on Sunday 28 July in Vienna, at an exceptional meeting, their “continued commitment to preserve” the Iranian nuclear agreement and reiterated their support for its main principles.
While Iran no longer respects the nuclear agreement (see EUROPE 12288/18), in retaliation for the consequences of the US sanctions against it, the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting by the committee chairperson – the Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Helga Schmid – does not report any concrete progress. The parties have also agreed to convene a meeting at ministerial level “in the near future”.
According to the Chinese representative, Fu Cong, while the discussions took place in a “very good atmosphere”, they were marked by “tensions”.
The participants “recalled that nuclear commitments and the lifting of sanctions are essential elements of the agreement”, the Chairperson said in her statement
The participants also reiterated “the commitments contained in the Presidency's statements issued at the end of previous joint commissions and, in particular, to continue discussions at expert level on the lifting of sanctions and nuclear issues”.
At the end of the meeting, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that “any obstacle to the way Iran exports its oil (went) against the JCPOA”, in reference to the seizure in the Straits of Gibraltar in early July of an Iranian tanker suspected of wanting to deliver oil to Syria, despite the fact that it is under embargo.
The E3+2 and Iran reaffirmed their strong support and collective responsibility for nuclear projects (in particular Arak and Fordow), which are an essential element of the JCPOA “to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme”, the statement said.
Iran criticises the British proposal for a naval force
In addition, even as the committee was meeting, the Iranian spokesman criticised the proposal of former British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt to set up a European mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz (see EUROPE 12302/17).
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei, quoted by the “Isna” agency, described the announcement as a “hostile message” and a “provocative” act that will “exacerbate tensions”. According to him, his country is “the greatest maritime security agent in the Persian Gulf”.
For his part, President Hassan Rohani considered, again on 28 July, that “the presence of foreign forces would not help the security of the region and would be the main source of tensions”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)