Australia and Japan have expressed support for preserving the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Australia attaches highest importance to the IAEA’s activities in Iran under the JCPOA. AU’s continued support for the JCPOA is informed by ongoing advice from the Director General that Iran is fully implementing its nuclear commitments under the Plan,” Australian Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency tweeted on Tuesday. 

Also in a post on his tweeter account on Tuesday, Japanese Ambassador to the Vienna-based international organizations Mitsuru Kitano said, “At the @iaeaorg Board of Governors meeting, I made a statement on Iran’s nuclear issues. “Japan continues to firmly support the JCPOA, as it strengthens the international non-proliferation regime and contributes to the peace and stability of the Middle East region.”

Yukiya Amano, the head of UN nuclear watchdog, said on Monday that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal.

Amano made his assessment in a regular update to the IAEA’s board of governors, confirming a confidential report distributed to member states last month, AP reported.

The UN nuclear watchdog has confirmed Iran’s compliance to the JCPOA for 14 times since the deal went into force in January 2016. The deal was signed in July 2015 in Vienna between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, and China) plus Germany.

Despite repeated confirmations by the IAEA, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and ordered reimposition of sanctions against Iran.

On January 31, France, Germany and Britain announced the creation of INSTEX, a special purpose vehicle aimed at facilitating legitimate trade between European economic operators and Iran.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said INSTEX will support legitimate European trade with Iran.

Russia and China have also remained publicly committed to the existing accord.

NA/PA