Iran’s President Renews Push to Save JCPOA
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for decisive diplomatic action to foil US attempts at scrapping the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying the Foreign Ministry’s main task in his second term would be safeguarding the nuclear agreement.
Addressing the parliament on Sunday, President Rouhani said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who has been chosen to assume the office for the second term, will have a heavy duty to protect the JCPOA and not let the US succeed in implementing its obstructive plots.
The real Iranian heroes are those trying to maintain the nuclear deal and protect it against hostile attempts by the US, Israel and some minor countries in the region, the president added.
He also hailed the steps Iran has taken since the JCPOA was achieved, saying anti-Iran sanctions have been shattered and “locks have been unlocked.”
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) signed the JCPOA in July 2015. The accord took effect in January 2016 and was supposed to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran all at once, but its implementation has been hampered mainly due to US policies.
Earlier this month, Zarif slammed the US for its lack of commitment to the nuclear deal, stressing that Iran is pursuing the implementation of the deal with “seriousness”.
