Iran, 5+1 foreign ministers to meet in New York

The foreign ministers of the countries signatory to the landmark nuclear agreement will meet in New York next week.

The nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed between Iran and the 5+1 countries (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) on July 14, 2105. It went into effect on January 16, 2016.

The meeting which also be attended by European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will be held on the sidelines of the annual UN meeting.

The meeting will take place within the framework of the JCPOA Joint Commission which is tasked to verify each side’s commitments under the deal.

Foreign Policy reported on Friday that the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will sit down for the first time with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other key dignitaries as the Trump administration weighs killing the nuclear pact.

The meeting mark the first time the Trump administration’s top diplomat will meet with his Iranian counterpart.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said there will be no direct talks between Zarif and Tillerson.

For months, the Trump administration has been sharply divided over whether to continue to certify that Iran is in compliance with the accord, or to break free of the Obama-era agreement, a move that would result in Tehran ramping up its nuclear program.

In July, Tillerson and other key national security advisors prevailed on the president to recertify the pact, which by law he has to do every three months. But Trump was reportedly unhappy with the decision and was hoping to scupper the accord in October.