TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that seizure of a supertanker carrying the Iranian oil is a violation of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.

Speaking prior to a meeting of the joint commission of the JCPOA in Vienna, he said that the signatories to the nuclear deal should not prevent Iran’s oil export.

Britain captured a supertanker carrying the Iranian oil on July 4 by claiming that it was transporting oil to Syria in violation of the EU sanctions.

Iran has dismissed claims the tanker was carrying oil for Syria and said technically it is impossible for the supertanker to anchor in Syria’s ports.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on Britain not to be part of the United States’ “economic terrorism” against Iran.

The United States, which withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018, has introduced the harshest ever sanctions against Iran. 

Trump himself has called the sanctions against Iran an “economic war”.

Under the nuclear deal, Iran agreed to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for normal economic ties including oil export.
 
On April 22, the U.S. announced that Washington has decided not to extend waivers allowing the remaining importers to continue buying oil from Iran. The waivers ended on May 2.

In an interview with Etemad daily published on Saturday, British Ambassador to Tehran Robert Macaire said that Iran should sell its oil and Britain supports legitimate trade of Iran’s oil.

“We support legitimate trade of Iran’s oil and consider it a part of legitimate economic activities of Iran. We think Iran should be able to sell its oil and this issue should be told to the United States,” he said.

He noted, “We have clearly said that we support the JCPOA and removal of sanctions is a part of the JCPOA which makes it possible for Iran to sell its oil. This is our position which we have announced to the United States clearly.”

After the meeting, Araghchi told Reuters, “The atmosphere was constructive. Discussions were good. I cannot say that we resolved everything, I can say there are lots of commitments.”

NA/PA