Iran blames Europe for nuclear deal failure ahead of first talks since US strikes
Iran has accused European powers of non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, contributing to its collapse ahead of talks in Istanbul on Friday
Tehran on Monday blamed European powers for the failure of the 2015 nuclear deal, accusing them of breaking their commitments ahead of renewed talks in Istanbul with Britain, France and Germany.
The 2015 deal 2015 called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the UN Security Council’s permanent members – Britain, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – plus Germany, imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
But it unravelled in 2018 when the United States, during Donald Trump’s first term as president, unilaterally withdrew from the accord and reimposed sweeping sanctions.
The Europeans had pledged continued support for the deal, but the mechanism intended to offset US sanctions never materialised effectively and many Western firms were forced to exit Iran, which has since faced a deepening economic crisis.
“The European parties have been at fault and negligent in implementing” the nuclear agreement, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said.
His remarks come ahead of a meeting on Friday in Istanbul between Iranian officials and representatives from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, to discuss the future of the nuclear deal.