Iran urges compensation for US violation of JCPOA

A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says US Congress vote to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for another 10 years was a violation of the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement, calling for measures to redress the breach.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi made the remarks in an interview with IRIB in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of a high-level commission monitoring the implementation of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.

“The extension of the Iran Sanctions Act is a breach of the US obligations under the JCPOA and must be compensated in an effective way,” he said.

He noted that the meeting was called at Iran’s request in order to discuss Washington’s violation of the JCPOA.

The monitoring body convened for a sixth meeting on Tuesday, with deputies and political directors from Iran and the P5+1 – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany -- as well as European Union Political Director Helga Schmid in attendance. The meeting was co-chaired by Schmid and Araqchi. The two had also met earlier in the day.

Araqchi noted that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had earlier written to the European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and complained about the US violation of the JCPOA, particularly the renewal of ISA. The Iranian deputy foreign minister further noted that experts from both Iran and the P5+1 group of countries had held talks in Vienna on Monday and reached positive conclusions ahead of a meeting between the Iranian and US delegations.

EA