TEHRAN – The Austrian Foreign Ministry has expressed support for the 2015 nuclear deal, saying parties to the deal should facilitate economic dividends from the JCPOA to Iran.

“Austria regrets any unilateral steps, which undermine the preservation of the deal. We hope all sides will agree and find their way back to full implementation, in order to create conditions to facilitate economic dividends from the JCPOA for Iran,” IRNA quoted the ministry as saying in a statement on Tuesday.

As the negotiations took place in Vienna, Austria takes a distinct responsibility to actively engage in preserving the JCPOA and stands, without any “ifs” and “buts” united with the other EU member states to save the nuclear deal, the statement said.

The statement added that in this context, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg visited Washington and Tehran earlier this year to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.

Stefan Scholz, the Austrian ambassador to Tehran, said in December 2019 that Austria seeks to preserve the nuclear deal.

“The Austrian government is interested in preserving the JCPOA and we believe that Europeans must fulfill their promises and uphold Iran’s economic benefits,” he said during a meeting with members of Sanandaj’s city council.

He noted that Austria, as a member of the European Union, is making efforts to save the JCPOA.

Austria and Geneva hosted the nuclear talks between Iran, the 5+1 group, and the European Union, which led to the conclusion of the JCPOA in July 2015.

U.S. President Donald Trump quit the nuclear deal in May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever sanctions on Iran as part of his administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.

Under the JCPOA, Iran promised to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for the termination of economic and financial sanctions.

NA/PA