Paris Has No Right to Launch JCPOA Dispute Resolution Tool Reimposing Sanctions - Tehran

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - France has no right to implement the mechanism of resolving disputes around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which sanctions against Tehran can be reinstated, given the current situation around the nuclear deal, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, said on Thursday.

His comment came soon after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France considered triggering the dispute resolution mechanism, capable of leading to reinstated United Nations' sanctions on Iran.

"In the current conditions, the JCPOA in no way allows the European sides to be guided by this mechanism, as Iran exercises its legal right to respond to the United States' illegal and unilateral steps, and European sides' breach of their obligations," Mousavi said, as quoted in the Telegram channel of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

He also slammed Le Drian's statement as irresponsible.

A Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached concerning Iran's nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland, June 2015.

© AP Photo / Brendan Smialowski

The JCPOA, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - China, France, Russia, UK, US - plus Germany - together with the European Union to ensure that Iran's nuclear program will be peaceful. In return, Tehran received relief from US, EU and UNSC nuclear-related sanctions.

In May 2019 US President Donald Trump announced that his country was withdrawing from the JCPOA and reimposing sanctions on Iran. A year later, Iran announced that it would gradually downgrade its nuclear commitments unless the EU, France, the UK and Germany take measures to save the deal.