Tehran 22 February _Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic has not closed the door to talks with the European Union on possible ways to save a 2015 landmark nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers following the US’ unilateral withdrawal from it.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club(YJC)-We believe that the nuclear deal served the interests of the region and the world and the US move harms all [nations] and even the American people," Rouhani said in a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok in Tehran on Saturday.
"Over the past 21 months since the US exit from the JCPOA (the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the European Union has unfortunately failed to take effective steps in line with mutual relations and the fulfillment of its commitments under the JCPOA," he added.
Pointing to the US’ “illegal, unilateral and cruel” sanctions against the Iranian nation, which also include medicine and food, Rouhani said, "It is expected that the world’s free nations vociferously condemn these unlawful sanctions."
US President Donald Trump, a stern critic of the historic deal, unilaterally pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018, and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism in an attempt to strangle the Iranian oil trade.
In response to the US’ unilateral move, Tehran has so far rowed back on its nuclear commitments four times in compliance with Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA, but stressed that its retaliatory measures will be reversible as soon as Europe finds practical ways to shield the mutual trade from the US sanctions.
Tehran has particularly been disappointed with failure of the three European signatories to the JCPOA -- Britain, France and Germany -- to protect its business interests under the deal after the United States' withdrawal