TEHRAN – Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi has congratulated Josep Borrell on his appointment as the new EU foreign policy chief, voicing hopes that relations between Tehran and the EU would develop during his tenure.

“While appreciating @FedericaMog's moderate and sensible positions on Iran & congratulating the appointment of @JosepBorrellF, hope to witness the development of our relations with the EU and the consolidation of multilateralism and rule of law in the International arena,” Mousavi said on his Twitter account on Monday evening.

Borrell on Sunday assumed the post of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, replacing Mogherini, who served from 2014 to 2019.

On the same day, he said that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), must survive.

“We have greatest interest in preserving the nuclear deal and its surviving. We want the Iranian officials to do whatever they can to keep the agreement alive,” Borrell told the Spanish daily El Pais, IRNA reported.

He also noted that killing the nuclear deal will be a “big mistake”.

U.S. President Donald Trump walked away from the multilateral pact in May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever sanctions on Iran.

After waiting for a full year, Iran started to gradually reduce its commitments to the nuclear deal in response to the U.S. and an inaction by the remaining parties, especially Europeans, to shield Tehran from sanctions effect.  

So far, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has taken four steps to cut back commitments in accordance to paragraph 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one side, under certain circumstances, to stop complying with the deal if the other side is out of compliance.”

Iran has repeatedly said if the European parties to the nuclear deal protect its economy from the U.S. sanctions it will reverse its decisions.

MH/PA