TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Tehran is ready to stop discontinuing its obligations from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if European countries fulfil their part of the agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday.
"In case Europe takes measures to implement [its part of] the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, there is a probability of Iran moving away from proceeding to the 3rd round," Zarif said, as cited by the IRNA news agency.
On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani informed French President Emmanuel Macron that Tehran would launch the third stage in reducing its obligations under the nuclear deal if Europe fails to fulfil its commitments, adding, however, that this step would be reversible.
Tehran scraps part of JCPOA obligations every 60 days citing the failure of remaining JCPOA signatories to ensure its interests after the United States left the deal. The next deadline is on Thursday, 5 September.
Last year US President Donald Trump announced that his country would unilaterally withdraw the nuclear deal signed in 2015 and reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran. Later, Iran partially suspended its obligations under the deal and started to enrich uranium beyond the level outlined by the JCPOA.
The United States' decision prompted France, Germany and the United Kingdom to create a joint mechanism for trade with Iran called INSTEX. Following a meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA in June, the mechanism became operational and available to all EU member states. The trading instrument in its initial stage only covers the supply of medicines, medical equipment, and agricultural products, but Tehran also reportedly seeks to export oil.
