Zarif: US removal of sanctions will lead to Iran reversal of JCPOA measures
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said if the United States takes practical steps to remove the illegal sanctions it has unilaterally imposed on Tehran, the Islamic Republic will reciprocate the measure by reversing steps it has taken to reduce its commitment under the 2015 nuclear deal with the world powers.
According to Press TV, he made the remarks in a Sunday meeting with Ireland’s visiting Foreign Minister Simon Coveney in Tehran, during which the two sides discussed issues of concern to both countries at bilateral, regional and international levels.
Zarif, while reiterating Iran’s position on the nuclear agreement, said a “complete and effective removal of US sanctions” will be met with Iran’s reversing of its move to walk away from its nuclear obligations under the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The two sides also reviewed ways to cooperate in order to reduce regional tensions. They discussed the recent developments in the Persian Gulf, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Afghanistan and the Caucasus.
Coveney, for his part, said his country will open its embassy in Tehran step by step, based on the agreed-upon arrangements.
The Irish foreign minister, who arrived in Tehran on Sunday for an official visit, also met with President Hassan Rouhani earlier in the day.
During that meeting, Coveney said the JCPOA had a substantial influence on global peace, adding that his country would do all in its power to preserve the deal.
Rouhani said Iran was prepared to “immediately” reverse its nuclear counter-steps once the US lifted the sanctions and “abandoned its policy of threat and pressure” against the Islamic Republic.
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