TEHRAN - Josep Borrell, The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has said that the EU is committed to working toward fully implementing the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. 

Borrell said in a statement that he discussed the full implementation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the European signatories to the deal- France, Germany and the United Kingdom – collectively called the E3. 

“I remain fully committed to continuing all possible efforts towards the resumption of the full implementation of the JCPOA, a matter that was also discussed in the consultations,” the top EU diplomat said in the statement. 

He also said, “On 14 September, I received a letter from the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom informing me about an issue concerning the implementation of Iran’s commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).”

According to Borrell, the E3 foreign ministers accused Iran of not complying with the terms of the JCPOA. 

He added, “The Foreign Ministers stated that Iran has been in non-compliance since 2019 and considered that this has not been resolved through the JCPOA’s Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM). They expressed their intention not to take the steps regarding the lifting of further sanctions on JCPOA Transition Day on 18 October 2023.”

The European accusation comes at a time when Iran reduced its commitments under the JCPOA only after the E3 failed to honor their JCPOA obligations following the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal in May 2018.

Borrell stated, “Subsequently, as Coordinator, I consulted all JCPOA participants on the way ahead. Following these consultations, I note that as of today, the issue remains unresolved given the diverging views expressed. At the same time, participants reiterated their determination to find a diplomatic solution in the framework of the JCPOA.”