Referring to the energy crisis in Europe, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that if JCPOA negotiations are successful and unilateral sanctions against the country are lifted, Iran can meet most of Europe's needs.
Article continues below
The complete removal of sanctions imposed against the government and people of Iran is the main goal of the current negotiations between Iran and the signatories of the JCPOA. Various meetings have been held, and the last round was held in Vienna, and after that, the proposed text was given to the negotiating parties by the coordinator of the European Union," said Nasser Kan'ani in his weekly press conference in response to a question about the lifting of sanctions if an agreement is reached.
The talks to salvage the agreement kicked off in the Austrian capital city of Vienna in April last year, months after Joe Biden succeeded Trump, with the intention of examining Washington's seriousness in rejoining the deal and removing anti-Iran sanctions.
Despite notable progress, the U.S. indecisiveness and procrastination caused multiple interruptions in the marathon talks. Four days of intense talks between representatives of Iran and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA ended on August 8 with a modified text proposed by the EU on the table.
Iran submitted its response to the EU draft proposal on August 15, a week after the latest round of talks wrapped up which the bloc described as “reasonable". After submitting its response, Tehran urged Washington to show "realism and flexibility" in order to reach an agreement.
The United States, for its part, took several weeks to offer its response to Iran’s comments. On Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani said Tehran has offered its opinion on the US response to the EU draft text for the JCPAO revival.
"Iran offered its views and response in this regard to the EU coordinator and is waiting to receive the response of the other parties and specifically the response of the US government. Iran's recent response to the EU coordinator on JCPOA talks was constructive, transparent and legal. If the other side has the political will and acts constructively, it is possible to reach an agreement," he added.
Referring to the request of the Europeans to Iran to help solve the problem of the energy crisis, the spokesman said, "Naturally, the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the most important countries supplying energy and fuel needed by different countries in the world due to its rich oil and gas resources. Based on its capabilities and capacities, Iran has maintained its presence in the energy market even under the shadow of the toughest sanctions."
"European countries are facing problems in providing the energy they need, and if the negotiations are successful and the unilateral sanctions against our country are lifted, Iran can meet a larger part of Europe's needs," he added.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has sounded the alarm about the EU's energy crisis, warning that a difficult winter and dangerous disruptions are ahead if no action is taken by Europe.
Andersson’s remarks came after Moscow announced on Friday it was shutting down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany due to what officials cited as leaks in a turbine converter in the natural gas flow system.
Experts say the shutdown of the pipeline exacerbates a squeeze on Europe’s energy supplies and increases the recession risks faced in the EU.
Any agreement is formed if there is no guarantee, it is possible to violate it again, the spokesperson said. "We witnessed that the US withdrew from the agreement, while Iran unilaterally adhered to the agreement. The European parties also failed to fulfill their obligations and could not cover the damages caused by the unilateral withdrawal of the US."
The United States, under former president Donald Trump, abandoned the agreement in May 2018 and reinstated unilateral sanctions that the agreement had lifted.
The guarantee system in any agreement should be strong and robust, Kan'ani said, adding that there should be guarantees that sanctions will be removed and Iran reaps the benefits of the JCPOA.
IAEA inspectors have repeatedly visited Iran's nuclear sites and facilities and confirmed its peaceful nature, the Iranian diplomat noted. "Iran expects IAEA to act responsibly and within its legal and professional obligations. Iran has always been transparent in its nuclear activities." ■