Iran warns will reduce commitment to nuclear deal

Iran yesterday warned it would take steps towards reducing its commitment to  the 2015 nuclear deal signed with world powers.

“We are still waiting for the Europeans’ practical and concrete measures in implementing the nuclear deal,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a weekly press conference.

“Tehran’s patience is running out,” he added, stating that his country would take “the third step if the Europeans fail to honour their commitments once again.”

On Sunday, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters that Iran plans to implement the third step in the framework of the “less for less” line, reducing commitments voluntarily undertaken by the country under the deal.

READ: Iran says meeting with parties to nuclear deal constructive

Ryabkov’s remarks came following a meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna, noting that participants of the JCPOA called on Iran to refrain from such steps.

Ryabkov said Tehran will abandon the “less for less” line in case of providing economic possibilities, promised under the deal.

Meanwhile, Abbas Araqchi, the Iranian envoy to the nuclear talks, also said on Sunday that Iran would continue ignoring more of its commitments pertaining to the deal if the remaining parties failed to help Tehran reap its economic interests.

To secure trade with Iran and skirt US anti-Iran sanctions, the European Union has announced the launch of EU’s special payment channel with Iran, namely INSTEX, in January.

Iran has withdrawn from parts of its obligations under the deal recently after US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal in May 2018 and re-imposed sanctions, lifted under the accord, against Iran.

READ: EU urges Iran to adhere to nuclear treaty