Iran’s FM Zarif to Begin Last-Ditch Push on JCPOA Survival
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will begin a tight diplomatic trip on Sunday for negotiations on how to save the JCPOA in the wake of the US withdrawal from the multilateral nuclear deal.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi announced on Friday that Zarif will travel to Beijing, Moscow and Brussels for intensive talks on the possibility of preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action provided that the Iranian nation’s interests are guaranteed.
Zarif will fly to China on Sunday, before travelling to Moscow for talks with Russian officials, he said.
The Iranian minister will then visit Brussels to attend a meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Britain, as well as EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini, the spokesman added.
In a speech from the White House on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing the US withdrawal from 2015 agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Following the controversial decision, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran weighs plans to remain in the agreement with the other five parties, provided that they ensure full benefits for Iran.
In a speech on Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei urged that any decision to keep the deal running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the three European parties to the JCPOA.
