TEHRAN – The director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has voiced doubts about the future of the 2015 nuclear agreement after the U.S. pullout from the deal, saying proposals put forward by the European countries to safeguard the nuclear pact are not satisfying for the Islamic Republic.

Ali Akbar Salehi made the comments in a Wednesday meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Oslo, Tasnim reported.

“If it continues like this, all sides will lose,” Salehi warned.

Salehi denounced as “destructive” Washington’s policies toward the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the official name for the nuclear pact, saying such policies are “doomed to failure”.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United State from the JCPOA and vowed to impose “the highest level” of economic sanctions on Tehran, drawing strong criticisms from the remaining parties and the international community.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also threatened Iran with the “strongest sanctions in history” if it did not comply with a list of steep demands, including ending uranium enrichment.

The top nuclear official further said the benefits from the JCPOA in the fields of economy, banking and investment do not live up to Iran’s expectations, calling on the advocates of the pact, including the UN and European states, to stand up to Trump’s hostile stance.

UN chief: Nuclear deal key to global security

Guterres, for his part, underlined the need to save the JCPOA despite the U.S. withdrawal, saying the multinational agreement is key to ensuring global security.

He said he is in talks with the remaining parties on the future of the nuclear agreement, voicing his full support for the deal.

Guterres further stressed that the nuclear deal plays a significant role in protecting international peace and the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Tehran’s political and economic expectations from the European Union are understandable, the world’s top diplomat said, adding that he would call on the remaining JCPOA parties to seriously respond to Iran’s demands.

The two officials were in the Norwegian capital to attend the 16th edition of the Oslo Forum, which brings together every year international conflict mediators, high-level decision-makers and other peace process actors in informal retreats for discussions on global challenges and experience sharing.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Norway on Monday, Salehi vowed to defend Iran’s national interests “in the best way” at the Oslo Forum.

“Certainly, the JCPOA will be one the most important issues which will be discussed and we will declare Iran's positions explicitly and transparently,” he said, according to Press TV.

Iran has repeatedly said it will remain committed to the JCPOA as long as the European Union as well as China and Russia safeguard its benefits from the deal.

MH/PA