TEHRAN – While Iran’s Wednesday decision to stop implementing some parts of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal was met with mixed reactions from other countries, lawmakers at home have unanimously championed the move, even calling for stronger decisions if the other parties to the deal, officially called the JCPOA, continue to fail to fulfill their obligations.

Ahmad Amir-Abadi, a member of the Majlis presiding board, has said if the JCPOA does not help Iran remedy its economic problems and export its oil, Tehran will make stronger decisions on the implementation of the deal, Mehr news agency reported on Friday.

The JCPOA can only be implemented if it’s a “win-win” game for both sides, not a “win-lose”, Amir-Abadi said.

Iran has fulfilled all of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but the Europeans and Americans have not upheld their obligations, he stated.

The lawmaker described the 60-day deadline to European countries as a considerable period of time, adding now it is European countries’ turn to make their own decision.

“The sanctions will end ultimately, and then the companies and countries which had not cooperated with the Islamic Republic [during the American sanctions period] will not have any share of Iran’s energy market,” Amir-Abadi warned.

In another reaction to the move, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Iran’s decision was in accordance with international law.

Speaking to Mehr correspondent, Falahatpisheh underlined that Iran needs to scale down its JCPOA commitments via conducting negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the five remaining parties to the deal. 

He voiced Iran’s commitment to maintaining security and peace, adding, “Our difference with the U.S. is that we respect international order.”

Mohammad Javad Jamali, also a member of the committee, has called the EU rejection of Iran’s ultimatum an “escape forward”, saying despite the EU’s rejection, Iran is committed to its declared 60-day ultimatum and will take its expected steps after the deadline.

“It seems the U.S. and European Union have divided the responsibilities between themselves; the U.S. imposes tough sanctions on Iran and takes extreme positions, while the European Union keeps us waiting to find enough time for relinquishing its responsibilities,” he said. “The European Union’s statement proves that they want more pressure on Iran.”

Another member of the committee, Mohammad Hassan Asafari, has said “Europe is playing the role of the good cop and it is clear that it has made some agreements with the U.S.”

He emphasized that according to the JCPOA, Iran has the right to reduce its commitments to the nuclear deal but is trying to maintain cooperation with the other sides.

Lawmaker Ali Akbar Karimi has welcomed Iran’s move against the U.S. as well as European countries which have failed to fulfill their commitments after U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA.

“We decided to reduce our commitments in Barjam (JCPOA) under our rights,” he said, adding that Iran could have announced the decision right after the United States exited the nuclear accord in May 2018.

MH/PA