TEHRAN – Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Mojtaba Zonnour said on Saturday that the European parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement, also referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are doing nothing to save the deal.

Pointing to Iran’s fourth step in reducing its commitments under the accord, Zonnour said Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) takes decisions on the issue in its meetings attended by Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Tasnim reported.

“In every step of reducing commitments under the JCPOA, the administration’s policy is to give Europe an opportunity to review their decisions and policies,” he stated.

Iran’s steps in scaling back its commitments should be such that Europe would be forced to act, he argued.

Iran on Wednesday took the fourth step in reducing its commitments under the JCPOA in reaction to the continued failure of the European parties to meet their obligations to the agreement.

Washington withdrew from the internationally-endorsed nuclear deal with Iran on May 8, 2018, reimposed the toughest-ever sanctions against the country and started a plan to zero down Tehran’s oil sales.

Under the nuclear agreement, Tehran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the termination of economic and financial sanctions.

Following the U.S. withdrawal, Iran remained fully committed to the JCPOA for a year, but announced on the anniversary of Washington’s bellicose move that its “strategic patience” is over and would gradually reduce its commitments to the deal at 60-day intervals, which were designed as deadlines for Europe to protect Tehran’s interests under the deal.

In the first step, Iran removed cap on its nuclear deal stockpile which was limited to 300 kilograms enriched to purity of 3.67 percent. In the second step, which started in July 7, Iran started enriching nuclear fuel to more than 3.67 percent. In the third step, which fell on September 6, Iran removed ban on nuclear research and development (R&D). And in the fourth step on November 6, Iran started to inject uranium gas into centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear facility.

Tehran has repeatedly said its measures will be revered as soon as Europe finds practical ways to shield the Iranian economy from unilateral U.S. sanctions.

MH/PA