TEHRAN – Iranian Vice President for Women’s and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar has called on the European Union to behave logically at the current juncture that Iran has decided to partially suspend some of its commitments under the JCPOA in retaliation to the U.S. exit from the pact and a failure by the EU to respect its commitments.

“Sanctions and economic pressure have increased against the country step by step and we express dissatisfaction with the European Union’s lack of commitment to its obligations,” Ebtekar said during a meeting with Belgian Ambassador to Tehran Veronique Petit.

For her part, Petit, whose country is the capital of the EU, said she will convey Iran’s message to the 28-nation bloc.

Under the JCPOA, endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran was tasked to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions. However, since Trump pulled the U.S. out of the JCPOA, the European countries cut banking ties with Iran, stopped purchasing Iranian oil, annulled agreements, and their companies left Iran one after another.

Even when the oil sanctions were introduced against Iran first in November 2018, which exempted certain countries, including Greece and Italy, these two EU members refused to buy oil from Iran.

On May 8, Iran officially announced that it stops selling stockpiles of enriched uranium and heavy water for 60 days. However, Iran warned if any conclusion is not reached in this time period, it will take other measures step by step and will accelerate its uranium enrichment activities. 

NA/PA