Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, expressed his deep concern regarding Iran’s nuclear trajectory, including Tehran’s recent steps.
Media reports indicated that the EU foreign policy chief reaffirmed the commitment to ongoing diplomatic efforts to ensure the implementation of the nuclear agreement. Borrell, who holds both Spanish and Argentine citizenship, brings fresh perspectives to European foreign policy and is focused on the recent attempts to save the nuclear deal with Iran, where remaining partners of the agreement will consult once again with representatives from Tehran. All parties involved in the agreement have "stressed their determination to maintain the accord."
Previously, Borrell emphasized that full implementation of the Iranian nuclear agreement is more critical now than ever for both regional and global security. He made these comments in a tweet discussing Iran’s announcement to suspend all its commitments under the nuclear agreement signed with the P5+1 group. Borrell expressed that he received the Iranian step with "great sadness" and affirmed his commitment to work with all parties to the agreement.
The Iranian government stated in a statement that it has suspended all its commitments under the nuclear agreement with the P5+1 and will no longer adhere to them, confirming that "Tehran will not comply with commitments related to uranium enrichment, storage, and research and development." They added that they would not impose restrictions on the number of centrifuges and would implement the nuclear program according to their technical needs.
Iran confirmed its continued cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and its readiness to return to the agreement if sanctions are lifted and its interests are secured within the framework of the deal. The Iranian announcement followed the U.S. killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Authority, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, along with eight others, during an American airstrike targeting their vehicles on the way to Baghdad Airport.
In May 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal signed between Iran and the P5+1 group, which includes Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, France, and Germany, and imposed economic sanctions on Tehran. The agreement stipulates Iran’s commitment to abandon crucial parts of its nuclear program for at least ten years and to significantly restrict it to prevent the development of nuclear weapons, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
