"The Europeans' proposed package is not a package confronting Trump and the
US government's threats and attempts to kill the opportunities, and this is a
point of concern that has been raised by Iranian officials," Falahatpisheh said
on Saturday.
He referred to Trump's threat of preventing Iran's oil exports, and said
Europe's package should have included proposals to maintain Iran's crude
exports.
Falahatpisheh said Europe's package of proposals has also ignored the time left
for Iran to effectively confront the US sanctions.
In relevant remarks on Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a telephone
conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron strongly criticized the
three European states for not seriously working on their package of incentives
offered to Iran.
"The EU’s proposed package to ensure continued cooperation under the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action does not cover all of Iran's demands," President
Rouhani said during the phone talk.
The Iranian president, meantime, described France's attempts to preserve the
nuclear deal as positive, and said, "Europe’s proposed package to ensure
continued cooperation under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) does
not cover all of our demands."
President Rouhani, meantime, pointed to the economic activities and banking
relations and the problems facing some European companies doing business with
Iran due to the US unilateral pullout from the JCPOA, and said, "We expect
Europe to present us with a clear, operational plan with a specific timetable
that can compensate for US withdrawal from the nuclear deal."
Macron, for his part, voiced his country’s commitment to its obligations under
the JCPOA and highlighted the importance of efforts to continue cooperation and
dialogue for survival of the nuclear pact.
Macron also underlined that Europe is resolved to continue efforts aimed at
preserving the JCPOA, and said, "The meeting of foreign ministers of five
countries in Vienna can create a good balance in political and economic issues
for continuation of cooperation."
Trump announced on May 8 that the US would no longer remain part of the JCPOA
and promised to re-impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Iran
in response to Tehran's development of its nuclear program.
After Trump's declaration, the Iranian government issued a statement, calling
the US withdrawal as "unlawful". The statement underlined Iran's prerequisites
for continuing the deal with the five world powers after the US pullout of the
agreement.
"Iran, as a country that has remained committed to its legal obligations,
will pursue the US Government’s decision to withdraw from the JCPOA as provided
by the mechanisms and provisions of the accord, and if the US withdrawal is not
fully compensated and the full interests of the Iranian people are not met and
guaranteed – as stated in the accord and as outlined by Iran’s Leader on 9 May –
it will exercise its legal right to take whatever reciprocal measures it deems
expedient. Other parties to the JCPOA, and especially its three European
signatories, must take necessary action to safeguard the accord and to implement
their commitments – which they proved incapable of fully performing even while
the US was nominally a party to the deal, due to the obstructions by the Trump
Administration – and to proceed from giving pledges to taking practical action
without any preconditions," it said.
"None of the provisions or timeframes within the JCPOA, which were the
subject of twelve years of negotiations, are negotiable in any manner. The US,
which has through its meddling and erroneous policies ignited extremism,
terrorism, destruction, war and child killing in our region, is in no position
to issue any diktat about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s lawful presence within
its own region nor its effective support for the peoples of Syria and Iraq in
their endeavor to fight extremists. The US and its allies, which through their
support for the regime of Saddam Hussein, including equipping it with chemical
weapons and the most advanced military equipment while blocking Iran’s access to
any means of defense victimized the Iranian people for eight years, and
currently turning our region into a powder keg through their sale of hundreds of
billions of dollars of useless advanced weaponry devouring the financial
resources of the region, are in no position to impose restrictions on the
Islamic Republic of Iran’s lawful means of defense, including defensive
ballistic missiles which have been designed to carry conventional weapons based
on the bitter experiences of the war with the regime of Saddam Hussein. Indeed,
such efforts explicitly violate the principles of international law, and the
Islamic Republic of Iran’s legitimate right to self-defense under Article 51 of
the United Nations Charter," it added.
"As announced by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 8 May, the
Foreign Minister has been tasked with the duty of taking the necessary measures
to obtain required guarantees from the remaining parties to the JCPOA as well as
Iran’s other economic partners, and to immediately report the results of this
mission. Meanwhile, the President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has
been tasked with taking all necessary steps in preparation for Iran to pursue
industrial-scale enrichment without any restrictions, using the results of the
latest research and development of Iran’s brave nuclear scientists."
"The people of Iran will with calm and confidence continue their path towards
progress and development and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has
foreseen all necessary measures to facilitate this under any circumstances," the
statement continued.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a secure and powerful state, which derives its
security and economic development from within, relying on the prudent
participation and resilience of its brave and civilized people, seeks
constructive and dignified engagement with the world, and as shown by its
implementation of the JCPOA despite the United States’ continuous violations, is
a trustworthy and committed partner for all who are prepared to cooperate on the
basis of shared interests and mutual respect," it reiterated.
Source: FNA