Iran says US pullout from nuclear deal 'fatal blow' to rule of law

TEHRAN: Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said on Tuesday that the United States dealt a “fatal blow” to the rule of law at the international level by its “unlawful” withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal five years ago.

Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, made the remarks in a post on his Twitter page one day after the fifth anniversary of the US unilateral pullout from the nuclear deal in 2018, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ever since its withdrawal, the US has failed to reverse its “wrongful” deeds, said the Iranian official, stressing that Iran will continue its “legitimate” remedial measures under the nuclear pact.

The full implementation of the nuclear deal, the main precondition for which is the “effective and lasting” removal of the sanctions, could be resumed should “the reneging party”, the European Union, and E3 group of France, Britain and Germany demonstrate “credible” political will to that effect, he said.

Kani said the opportunity to resume the full implementation of the nuclear deal would not be available forever.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country.

The US, however, pulled out of the deal on May 8, 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. However, no breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022.