AP, Erbil :
The signatories of the Iranian nuclear deal – without the United States – are meeting in Vienna on Friday in a bid to save the agreement. Iran has given the parties a deadline of the end of the month to save the deal.
Representatives from China, Russia, France, Germany, Britain, and Iran will meet in the Austrian capital. The United States announced two weeks ago that it was withdrawing from the agreement that President Donald Trump has described as the “worst deal ever.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened “unprecedented sanctions” if Iran doesn’t stop its atomic program, end its interference in regional countries, and cut off its support for terrorist groups in Lebanon and Palestine.
Iran has requested the meeting, which is the first time all the parties will be brought together since America’s announcement. The meeting comes a day after the atomic watchdog IAEA confirmed Iran is abiding by the deal.
Multinationals are already quitting Iran, getting out ahead of economic sanctions despite statements from European leaders that they want the deal to survive.
Iran wants to see a package of economic measures by the end of May that will compensate for the US withdrawal, a senior Iranian official said on Friday.
“We now have a deal which is in the intensive care unit. It’s dying,” the official said, AFP reported. He warned that if the nuclear deal is lost, then resolving other issues will be “even more complicated.”
Iran has insisted that any negotiations will be limited to the deal itself and not branch into other matters like its ballistic missile program or activities in the Middle East.
Iran nuclear deal ‘in intensive care’ as signatories meet in Vienna
A senior Iranian official rejected any attempt to link the deal, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to other such issues, saying it would mean “we lose JCPOA and we (would) make the other issues even more complicated to resolve”, adding that it was pointless for the Europeans to try to “appease” Trump.
“We have now a deal which is in the intensive care unit, it’s dying,” he said.
He added that the Europeans had promised Iran an “economic package” to maintain the benefits of the JCPOA for Iran despite the reintroduction of US sanctions.
Iran expected this package by the end of May, he said, adding that Iran had only “a few weeks” before having to decide whether to keep participating in the deal or not.
Since the US pull out, the other signatories have embarked on a diplomatic marathon to try to keep the agreement afloat.
According to a report seen by AFP Thursday, an International Atomic Energy Agency believes Iran is still abiding by the deal’s key restrictions on its nuclear facilities in return for relief from damaging economic sanctions.
The IAEA, however, is “encouraging (Iran) to go above and beyond the requirements” of the deal in order to boost confidence, said a senior diplomat in Vienna, where the IAEA is based.
The signatories of the Iranian nuclear deal – without the United States – are meeting in Vienna on Friday in a bid to save the agreement. Iran has given the parties a deadline of the end of the month to save the deal.
Representatives from China, Russia, France, Germany, Britain, and Iran will meet in the Austrian capital. The United States announced two weeks ago that it was withdrawing from the agreement that President Donald Trump has described as the “worst deal ever.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened “unprecedented sanctions” if Iran doesn’t stop its atomic program, end its interference in regional countries, and cut off its support for terrorist groups in Lebanon and Palestine.
Iran has requested the meeting, which is the first time all the parties will be brought together since America’s announcement. The meeting comes a day after the atomic watchdog IAEA confirmed Iran is abiding by the deal.
Multinationals are already quitting Iran, getting out ahead of economic sanctions despite statements from European leaders that they want the deal to survive.
Iran wants to see a package of economic measures by the end of May that will compensate for the US withdrawal, a senior Iranian official said on Friday.
“We now have a deal which is in the intensive care unit. It’s dying,” the official said, AFP reported. He warned that if the nuclear deal is lost, then resolving other issues will be “even more complicated.”
Iran has insisted that any negotiations will be limited to the deal itself and not branch into other matters like its ballistic missile program or activities in the Middle East.
Iran nuclear deal ‘in intensive care’ as signatories meet in Vienna
A senior Iranian official rejected any attempt to link the deal, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to other such issues, saying it would mean “we lose JCPOA and we (would) make the other issues even more complicated to resolve”, adding that it was pointless for the Europeans to try to “appease” Trump.
“We have now a deal which is in the intensive care unit, it’s dying,” he said.
He added that the Europeans had promised Iran an “economic package” to maintain the benefits of the JCPOA for Iran despite the reintroduction of US sanctions.
Iran expected this package by the end of May, he said, adding that Iran had only “a few weeks” before having to decide whether to keep participating in the deal or not.
Since the US pull out, the other signatories have embarked on a diplomatic marathon to try to keep the agreement afloat.
According to a report seen by AFP Thursday, an International Atomic Energy Agency believes Iran is still abiding by the deal’s key restrictions on its nuclear facilities in return for relief from damaging economic sanctions.
The IAEA, however, is “encouraging (Iran) to go above and beyond the requirements” of the deal in order to boost confidence, said a senior diplomat in Vienna, where the IAEA is based.
